What’s Treading with Tire Review

Latest Episodes:

The Shift Toward Compact Equipment & How it Will Affect OTR Dealers with Bruce Besancon Feb 15, 2022

Show notes

Drive by any construction site today, and you'll probably see tractors, loaders, skid steers - the mainstays that sites need to keep running. However, in recent years, those pieces of equipment have downsized, giving the market for compact construction, ag and lawn equipment a boost.
Now, that's not to say those large earthmovers are going extinct. In fact, they play a huge role in readying a site for construction. However, when efficiency comes into play, the tiny but mighty equipment is having its time in the spotlight, and there are lots of reasons why.
To discuss this trend and how it will impact tire dealers, we spoke with Bruce Besancon, vice president of sales for Yokohama Off-Highway Tires, in this episode of What's Treading with Tire Review, presented by AAPEX 2022.
In this episode, Bruce delves into:
- Factors influencing the shift toward more compact equipment, especially in the construction sector.
- How the $1.2 trillion U.S. infrastructure bill signed into law late last year will impact the growth of compact equipment.
- How shifts in the market like this impact Yokohama's product strategy.
- How tire dealers can work with fleets, rental companies and their vendor partners to better service compact equipment as more of these machines come to market.
Watch here or subscribe to What's Treading with Tire Review on:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-treading-with-tire-review/id1470309726
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1GA3lp6AFo7V7EEG5awHaE
Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Iv76bs6re7unom4p76myj3cakhm
Spreaker: https://www.spreaker.com/show/what-s-treading-with-tire-review
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rYE1NOtnlw&list=PLVkqUUE022sdAVQ6DuHU8cxd3FS2ni9vA

How Hunter Engineering is Using IOT to Help Dealers Operate Smarter Jan 26, 2022

Show notes

You may have heard of the "Internet of Things," or IOT, as it's often referred to. But, if you’re scratching your head thinking, um…how does this relate to my tire business? We’re about to delve into just that.
In this episode of What's Treading with Tire Review, presented by AAPEX 2022, we’re joined by Pete Liebetreu, vice president of marketing for Hunter Engineering Co., who describes how Hunter is using IOT its HunterNet2 technology. According to computer technology company Oracle, the Internet of Things is a network of physical objects—“your things”—that are embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for the purpose of connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems over the internet. Think technologies like the Amazon Echo, for instance.
The way Hunter is using IOT is to address issues in shop efficiency. Hunter has the ability to connect its tire equipment, which includes tire changers, wheel balancers, alignment racks and more, to give you, the shop owner or tire dealer, data on how many jobs each machine has performed, how much money they’re bringing into the shop, missed service opportunities and more. Owners can see all of this data in the HunterNet 2 portal, which can be accessed via desktop or a mobile device.
To learn more about the capabilities of the HunterNet2 portal and what dealers can measure, we caught up with Leibetreu at this year’s SEMA Show, where he gave us a look into how the HunterNet 2 technology was created, exactly what it can measure for shops and its latest update that includes a multi-store view.
Listen here or subscribe to What’s Treading on:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-treading-with-tire-review/id1470309726
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1GA3lp6AFo7V7EEG5awHaE
Google Podcasts: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Iv76bs6re7unom4p76myj3cakhm
Or, watch a video version of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUswYJsDNu5h8U6wSk29U4A

Vredestein Previews New 2022 Products, Long-Term Strategy Jan 10, 2022

Show notes

On the heels of its latest all-terrain tire launch with the Pinza AT, the Vredestein brand is making its mark in the North American market. In 2019, the brand debuted with its Hypertrac UHP tire, and since then it has grown its presence in the independent tire dealer channel across North America. So, what does the brand have planned for 2022? And what about down the line?
In this episode of What’s Treading with Tire Review, presented by AAPEX 2022, we’re joined by Abhishek Bisht, assistant vice president of the Americas at Apollo Tyres, to talk about the growth the company has experienced since 2019 and what its plans are for the new year. Bisht also discusses Apollo’s long-term strategy in the North American market and what the company hopes to accomplish in five to 10 years.
Listen here or subscribe to What’s Treading on :
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-treading-with-tire-review/id1470309726
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1GA3lp6AFo7V7EEG5awHaE
Google Podcasts: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Iv76bs6re7unom4p76myj3cakhm
Or, For a video version of this episode, click here: https://www.tirereview.com/vredestein-2022-products-long-term-strategy/
Find it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rYE1NOtnlw&list=PLVkqUUE022sdAVQ6DuHU8cxd3FS2ni9vA

Creating a Successful Sales Process with Steve Ferrante Dec 13, 2021

Show notes

When a customer calls or comes into your tire dealership, it's easy to get into a rhythm and read from a script. What can I do for you today? What's the year, make, and model of your vehicle? What's your tire size? Important questions, sure. However, this is called "winging it;" it's not a true sales process, says Steve Ferrante, CEO of Sale Away LLC and the producer and host of Pinnacle Performance Training, a program that teaches independent tire and auto service businesses how to improve customer relations, build winning team cultures and produce greater sales results.
With more than 30 years of successful sales and management training experience, Ferrante is employed by many of Tire Review's Top Shops as a sales coach that helps establish a sales process based on a company's values toward customer service. In addition to being a regular contributor to Tire Review, Ferrante grew up in and around his family’s auto service business in Massachusetts and is an avid auto enthusiast.
In this episode of What's Treading with Tire Review, presented by AAPEX, Ferrante delves into:
- How his roots growing up in the automotive repair business led him to be an automotive enthusiast and car collector (0:45)
-The goals of his Pinnacle Performance Training process and how it helps break service advisors and customers from "the buying trance" (2:50)
- The keys to a successful and unsuccessful sales process and how dealers can redefine their competition with a good sales process (6:09)
- The "why" behind people do and don't buy from a particular place and the key to engaging with customers to keep them coming back (10:05)
- The one KPI dealers should track come the new year and the best way dealers can set and achieve goals (14:50)
You can also subscribe to What’s Treading with Tire Review on:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-treading-with-tire-review/id1470309726
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1GA3lp6AFo7V7EEG5awHaE
Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Iv76bs6re7unom4p76myj3cakhm
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rYE1NOtnlw&list=PLVkqUUE022sdAVQ6DuHU8cxd3FS2ni9vA

Right to Repair Update: Where Are We Now? Nov 29, 2021

Show notes

Right to repair is an ongoing issue in the automotive aftermarket. Put simply, it allows drivers to have access to their vehicle's data so they can grant you, the independent tire dealer, permission to access it and repair their vehicle. However, with OEMs wanting to maintain control over that data, the automotive aftermarket faces an uphill battle on this issue that's currently making its way through the court system. So, where does the right to repair issue stand? And what's happening at the federal level to be sure consumers have access to their car's data?
Bill Hanvey, president and CEO of the Auto Care Association, explains where the right to repair issue stands for independent repair shops in this episode of What's Treading with Tire Review, presented by AAPEX. Hanvey explains:
- The Auto Care Association's advocacy efforts on behalf of repair shops in the court case over the Massachusetts Right to Repair ballot measure, which received support from more than 70 percent of voters in 2019.
- What's happening on the federal level with right to repair legislation and how the Biden administration has taken a stand on right to repair across different industries.
- How independent tire dealers and repair shops can get involved in advocacy efforts around right to repair.
-The Auto Care Association's latest research on electric vehicles and e-commerce and why EVs aren't going to hurt independent repair shops.
Listen here or subscribe to What's Treading with Tire Review on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify.
More on AAPEX: https://aapexshow.com/

How Tire Pros is Leaning in to the Future of Tire Retail Nov 16, 2021

Show notes

At its recent Tire Pros Dealer Conference in late October, the 600+ dealer franchise unveiled its three-year plan to help its dealers better connect with customers and succeed in today's increasingly digitally focused world. So, what does that plan entail?
Tire Pros President Greg Bell takes a deep dive into what the franchise has in store in this latest episode of What's Treading with Tire Review, sponsored by AAPEX. In this episode, Bell dives into:
- Tire Pros growth in the last year and what he credits for the growth (1:42)
- The top three priorities for the franchise going into 2022 (2:43)
- Tools available to Tire Pros dealers as part of the franchise's "Showroom of the Future" concept (6:02)
- How he feels tire retail and the tire industry as a whole ha evolved due to the pandemic (10:42)
Listen here or subscribe to What’s Treading with Tire Review on:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-treading-with-tire-review/id1470309726
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1GA3lp6AFo7V7EEG5awHaE\
Google Podcasts: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Iv76bs6re7unom4p76myj3cakhm" target=
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUswYJsDNu5h8U6wSk29U4A
More on the AAPEX Show: https://aapexshow.com/

Top Shops, Pt. 2: Managing Appointments and Walk-ins Oct 25, 2021

Show notes

In this industry, you often hear the phrase "Appointments vs. Walk-ins." Does your service advisor meticulously manage your shop's scheduled work? Or, are you banking on helping customers out when they need it and walk into your store? The answer for many is both. But as tire dealers worked to manage the flow of traffic in their shops during the pandemic, more and more switched to taking appointments and scheduling out walk-ins as they came in. Customers felt safer. Employees were less stressed. So, how does one masterfully manage the flow of work for optimal shop productivity?
This year's Top Shop Winner and Finalists have some ideas. In this episode of What's Treading with Tire Review, our Top Shops delve into their beliefs on scheduling out service work and the keys for successfully managing workflow. You'll hear how:
- Burt Brothers Tire & Service is encouraging customers to schedule their service work. [1:35]
- Lex Brodie's Tire, Brake and Service Company is constantly improving its online appointment-scheduling system for customers. [2:25]
- Telle Tire & Auto Centers maintains transparency with its customers and dials in on each customer experience to dictate how the shop needs to adapt its workflow. [5:02]
- Plaza Tire Service's philosophy on increasing the flow of business by not scheduling appointments. [6:29]
Listen here or subscribe to What's Treading on:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-treading-with-tire-review/id1470309726
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1GA3lp6AFo7V7EEG5awHaE
Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Iv76bs6re7unom4p76myj3cakhm
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rYE1NOtnlw&list=PLVkqUUE022sdAVQ6DuHU8cxd3FS2ni9vA

Top Shops: Tips on Recruiting and Retaining Employees Sep 24, 2021

Show notes

Across the automotive aftermarket, shop owners and distributors alike continue to grapple with one huge challenge. You’ve guessed it: labor. More specifically for shops, a technician shortage. We know, we know -- this isn’t news to you. However, since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, some shops are going about recruiting and retaining employees a bit differently.
In this episode of What’s Treading with Tire Review, our 2021 Top Shop Winner and Finalists are here to tell you how they’re doing just that. We caught up with our 2021 Top Shops at our Top Shop Event in Nashville, Tennessee in August, where we delved into a myriad of topics around shop operations and productivity. In this episode:
- Jake and Jason Burt, two of the five partners of Burt Brothers Tire & Service, share how they’ve created more flexible schedules and career pathways for their employees at their 16-location dealership in Salt Lake City, Utah. [1:30]
- Laura Telle, vice president and chief people officer at Telle Tire & Auto Centers, describes how the dealership offers different levels of training for service advisors and technicians for advancement in the company. [3:40]
- Scott Williams, partner and vice president of marketing and brand management for Lex Brodie’s Tire, Brake and Service Co., explains how the five-location dealership in Honolulu, Hawaii created its own in-house university and details the process the business goes through to nurture good employees. [5:55]
- Mark Rhodes, co-owner of Plaza Tire Service, explains how trust in his shop managers has proved to help the business grow and succeed. [8:25]
Listen here or subscribe to What's Treading with Tire Review on:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-treading-with-tire-review/id1470309726
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1GA3lp6AFo7V7EEG5awHaE
Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Iv76bs6re7unom4p76myj3cakhm
Spreaker: https://www.spreaker.com/show/what-s-treading-with-tire-review
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rYE1NOtnlw&list=PLVkqUUE022sdAVQ6DuHU8cxd3FS2ni9vA

Akron Stories Project Brings Rubber Worker Histories to Life Aug 30, 2021

Show notes

Today's tire industry is home to legacy brands...you know who they are: Goodyear, Firestone, BF Goodrich, General Tire, Mohawk Rubber. The list goes on. The ones we listed, though, have one thing in common: They started in Akron, Ohio. In fact, as these tire manufacturers developed, so did the city of Akron. Now, the memories and stories from those that helped build these tire giants are being immortalized for years to come in the Akron Rubber Worker Statue & Stories Project.
The project started seven years ago, when Akronite Miriam Ray realized that there was nothing in the city to honor early rubber industry workers, which included some of her family members. However, with the help of Mac Love, head of creative intelligence agency Art x Love, and the City of Akron and other sponsors, a Rubber Worker Statue was recently unveiled in downtown Akron. The stories of these rubber industry workers live on in the Akron Stories project.
In this episode of What’s Treading with Tire Review, we invite Ray, the project’s founder, and Love, the project's lead, into our studio to explain more about the Akron Stories project and how you can contribute to it.
Ray and Love discuss:
- How the Akron Rubber Worker Statue & Stories Project came to fruition [1:19]
- What inspired the look of the statue and how its origins were told through stories [4:02]
- How the oral history storytelling element of the project was developed and how a grassroots effort spurred a movement to commemorate the people who made Akron the “Rubber Capital of the World” in the early 20th century [6:00]
- Details of the statue and how it’s becoming an Akron landmark that memorializes the city's early rubber industry history [8:09]
- How, due to its rubber industry roots, Akron was on the cusp of societal innovation, from creating the Pre-K school system to inventing the football huddle [12:02]
- Challenges the group encountered initially with the statue and project and how they overcame them with a motto of doing the project for the people of Akron [13:40]
- How the Akron Stories project is being funded currently and how you can contribute to the cause, submit a story and show your support [16:10]
- Miriam’s and Mac’s favorite stories from the early days of the rubber industry from the hundreds of stories submitted to the Akron Stories project [18:57]
Listen here or subscribe to “What’s Treading with Tire Review” on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify and Google Podcasts.

Why Tire Retail M&A Activity is Heating up in 2021 Aug 09, 2021

Show notes

Following the money can tell you a great deal about what's happening in the tire industry, and in 2021, capital has been in the hands of private equity-backed companies and publicly held behemoths. So, what does that mean for tire dealers?
In this episode of What's Treading with Tire Review, we speak with industry analysts who say these investor-led trends increase the value of independent tire dealerships like never before. Steven Rathbone, managing director for Chicago-based investment banking firm Stout, and Phillip Kane, senior advisor for the company, give us an overview of M&A trends in the first half of 2021 and how M&A activity will fare into 2022.
In this episode, Rathbone and Kane dive into:
- How Goodyear's purchase of Cooper Tire will affect dealers and, down the line, how it may affect Cooper’s Tier 2 market share
- The pandemic’s impact on M&A activity in the tire industry and the players that are driving it
- Segments that have been quiet on the M&A front in the past year
- Geographic areas in the U.S. in which major acquisitions are taking place in the retail sector
- Factors that have led to recent retail consolidation and how it fuels competition
- How the M&A environment in distribution and retail will fare this year and why more acquisitions may be coming down the line
- The rise of e-commerce during the pandemic and how it’s affecting the tire industry, in particular, tire retailers
Listen here or subscribe to What's Treading with Tire Review on:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-treading-with-tire-review/id1470309726
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1GA3lp6AFo7V7EEG5awHaE
Google Podcasts: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Iv76bs6re7unom4p76myj3cakhm
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rYE1NOtnlw&list=PLVkqUUE022sdAVQ6DuHU8cxd3FS2ni9vA

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