What’s Treading with Tire Review

Latest Episodes:

AAPEX Virtual Experience: What to Expect in Training, Product Demos & More Oct 12, 2020

Show notes

While many trade shows have been canceled or postponed due to COVID-19, the AAPEX Show isn't following suit. In fact, it's gone virtual, and is using this remote opportunity to shift its focus to you: shop owners and their staff.
On this episode of What's Treading with Tire Review, we get a feel for what the Virtual AAPEX Experience will be like. Vic Tarasik, founder of Shop Owner Coach who also serves on the AAPEX Show Committee, delves into the technical and management training that’s available to shops for free, the product demos you'll see and the advantages to sharing the AAPEX experience on a virtual platform.
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
To register and find out more information about the AAPEX Virtual Experience, go to aapexshow.com.

ATD: How COVID-19 is Shaping the Tire Supply Chain of Tomorrow Sep 15, 2020

Show notes

With rapid change around supply and demand during the onset of COVID-19, the need for just-in-time tire delivery was critical, especially when economies started to open up. At the forefront of predicting and acting on these supply and demand swings was American Tire Distributors.
ATD has more than 140 distribution centers across the U.S. serving a network of around 9,000 dealers. Add COVID-19 into the mix, and the company could have had a supply chain nightmare on its hands. But, with weekly meetings, data analytics and strong partnerships with manufacturers, they say it’s actually been kind of fun and exciting, from a supply chain perspective that is.
In this episode of What's Treading with Tire Review, we talk with Bill Hancock, ATD's senior vice president of supply chain operations, and Mark Chandler, senior vice president of supply chain for the company. Hancock and Chandler describe how ATD has navigated supply and demand in the tire industry during the pandemic, what they’ve learned through it all and what they see needs to be improved in the tire supply chain for a more efficient future.
Listen here or subscribe to What’s Treading with Tire Review:
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
To find out more about how Hancock sees the tire industry distribution landscape of the future, read his column in Tire Review's annual State of the Industry thought leadership piece: https://www.tirereview.com/tire-industry-supply-chain-distribution-future-agility/

Exec. Interview: Hankook's Debut in All-Weather Segment & Effects of COVID-19 Sep 02, 2020

Show notes

As the fall and winter seasons approach, your customers will be coming into your shop to gear up for the weather ahead. And some may need new tires. Luckily, you have options – maybe you fit them with an all-season depending on where you live, or perhaps their best bet is a designated winter tire. For situations sandwiched between those two, a tire in the all-weather segment could be a better bet.
In the U.S. tire industry, the all-weather segment has gained popularity over the years, and Hankook Tire America has taken notice. So much that the company has released a new all-weather product of its own – the Kinergy 4S2. In this episode, we catch up with Curtis Brison, Hankook’s vice president of passenger and light truck tire sales. Brison delves into why Hankook is investing in the all-weather segment, how it’s been handling supply and demand challenges during the pandemic and how the company is preparing for potential trade and tariff situations in the future.
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
More info on the Kinergy 4S2 can be found here: https://www.tirereview.com/hankook-debuts-all-weather-offering-for-u-s-market/

2020 Tire Dealer Study: Business Operations During COVID & Forecasting the Future Aug 19, 2020

Show notes

How has the coronavirus pandemic affected tire dealership operations at a shop level? Each year, Tire Review conducts its Tire Dealer Survey, and in this episode, we use our 2020 survey results to answer that question.
On this episode of the podcast, we talk with Bruce Kratofil, Babcox Media’s Audience Insights Manager who conducted not only our tire dealer survey but also a variety of aftermarket surveys around the pandemic. In this episode, Kratofil shares:
- Why the tire dealer survey has changed to focus on operations during the pandemic this year
- Changes dealers made in their shop's operations during the height of the pandemic through now
- How dealers' tire and service sales were affected at the onset of the pandemic through May
- And attitudes across different segments of the automotive aftermarket around economic recovery and operations as the pandemic continues.
Listen here or subscribe to What's Treading with Tire Review:
Spreaker: https://www.tirereview.com/category/podcasts
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
Take a look at this year’s Tire Dealer Survey for yourself in Tire Review’s 2020 August Sourcebook issue here: http://digital.tirereview.com/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&edid=adefeb68-7dd4-44d3-aeb1-b23c1c6a8285

Strategy of ‘Entrenchment’: Apollo Tyres' Quest for a Foothold in the U.S. Tire Market Aug 05, 2020

Show notes

Despite COVID-19, 2020 has been a big year for several tire manufacturers, including Apollo Tyres.
The Indian tiremaker launched its Vredestein brand in North America last year, and has already released two tires specifically designed for the North American market in 2020. According to company executives, there's much more to come with its "approach of entrenchment" in the U.S. market.
In this episode, we speak with Abhishek Bisht, assistant vice president of the Americas for Apollo Tyres and MD Rifen.com, and Daniele Lorenzetti, chief technology officer for Apollo Tyres. The two delved into how the company plans to cover 80% of the North American tire market in 24 months and how it's been able to executive this vigorous strategy amid the coronavirus.
What's Treading with Tire Review: https://www.tirereview.com/category/podcasts/
Apollo Tyres' Vredestein brand: https://www.vredestein.com/

Top Shops & COVID-19: What We've Learned and Changes We've Made to Our Business Jul 22, 2020

Show notes

Let's face it: The way tire dealers across the country run their businesses today looks a lot different from they operated just six months ago. And Tire Review's Top Shop Winners and Finalists - tire dealers awarded for being the best of the best at what they do - are no exception.
In this episode of What's Treading with Tire Review, we hop on a call with several of our Top Shops to hear how their businesses have changed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and what they've learned along the way.
Listen here or subscribe to What’s Treading with Tire Review wherever you get your podcasts.
For more on the Top Shops in this episode, check out their Top Shop profiles:
Chris Monroe, Monroe Tire & Service: https://www.tirereview.com/2019-top-shop-finalist-monroe-tire-service/
Chris Mitsos, Mountain View Tire & Auto Service: https://www.tirereview.com/2015-top-shop-finalist-mountain-view-tire-auto-service/
Scott Welsh, Courtesy Auto Service & Tire of Tacoma: https://www.tirereview.com/2018-top-shop-finalist-courtesy-auto-service-and-tire-of-tacoma/
Steve Nerheim, Waukegan Tire & Supply: https://www.tirereview.com/2019-top-shop-finalist-waukegan-tire/
Bud Luppino, Bud's Tire Pros: https://www.tirereview.com/2016-top-shop-finalist-buds-tire-pros/

Michelin VP of Sales: Signs of Recovery Taking Shape Jun 30, 2020

Show notes

Many tire dealers are reporting their best weeks of sales this year as states and provinces gradually reopen their economies. And that trickles through the tire supply chain, from distributors to manufacturers.
On this episode of What's Treading with Tire Review, we talk with Andrew Muerer, Michelin North America's vice president of sales, to get an update on how the company has handled the pandemic, the signs of recovery it’s seeing and what it has in store for the rest of 2020.
Meurer also discusses:
-Working out potential supply chain issues;
- The reason behind the company's decision to stop direct-to-consumer sales;
- How the company is investing in its dealers;
- Michelin North America's new product launches this year;
- And how he sees the tire industry recovering from the pandemic.
Subscribe to What's Treading with Tire Review here or on the following channels:
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

Tire Sell-out Trends Now & What to Expect in the Future with GfK Jun 19, 2020

Show notes

Data is king. It helps you make smart business decisions and drive the growth of your business. And in this episode of What's Treading with Tire Review, we delve into the numbers.
We speak with experts from GfK, one of the largest market research organizations in the world that collects tire sell-out data from thousands of tire dealer POS systems across the U.S. Neil Portnoy, managing director of POS tracking data, and Dave Stevens, vice president of POS Tracking, share data and analysis about how the economic effects of the coronavirus have impacted PLT tire sell-out nationwide. The two also discuss what tire sell-out trends tire dealers can expect later this year and how the market is changing in response to new consumer behaviors.
Listen above or subscribe to What’s Treading with Tire Review here: https://www.tirereview.com/category/podcasts/
You can also subscribe to the podcast on the following channels:
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

BKT USA & The OTR Tire Market Amid COVID-19 Jun 11, 2020

Show notes

In this week's episode of What's Treading with Tire Review, we talk with Doug Kershaw, vice president of BKT USA, to check in not only on BKT’s business during the coronavirus but also get a status report on how different segments of the OTR industry are faring the pandemic.
In this episode, we discuss:
- BKT's coronavirus response and production ramp-up
- How different segments of the OTR tire market are faring during the pandemic
- How BKT is serving its dealers during this time
- BKT’s new carbon black plant in India
- The company’s plans for manufacturing on U.S. soil.
For more information about BKT, go to https://www.bkt-tires.com/us/en/
Listen to more episodes of What's Treading with Tire Review: https://www.tirereview.com/category/podcasts/
Subscribe to What's Treading with Tire Review wherever you get your podcasts:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-treading-with-tire-review/id1470309726
Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Iv76bs6re7unom4p76myj3cakhm
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1GA3lp6AFo7V7EEG5awHaE
Spreaker: https://www.spreaker.com/show/what-s-treading-with-tire-review

A New Ball Game: Tire Manufacturing Amid COVID-19 with Nokian Tyres Jun 09, 2020

Show notes

As tire manufacturers start to ramp up their production, changes have been made in factories worldwide just to keep workers safe amid the coronavirus. So what's that like? How have factories changed?
In this episode of What's Treading with Tire Review, we speak with Nokian Tyres, a rather new tire manufacturer on North American soil, to see what it was like to shut down its plant, which opened late last year, and how it's setting new safety benchmarks and building up to the capacity it was producing at pre-COVID-19. Wes Boling, marketing communications manager for Nokian, delves into the following:
- How Nokian shut down its production due to the coronavirus;
- What the company is doing to ramp up production amid new safety standards;
- How COVID-19 has affected the Dayton factory's ramp-up to reach full capacity;
- Ways Nokian is serving dealers amid the tough economic times;
- And what Nokian has in store for dealers throughout this year.

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/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rYE1NOtnlw&list=PLVkqUUE022sdAVQ6DuHU8cxd3FS2ni9vA

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

What’s Treading with Tire Review

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected