What’s Treading with Tire Review

Latest Episodes:

EV Tires: An Editor's Guide on What You Need to Know May 17, 2023

Show notes

The number of electric vehicles sold in North America is only going up, which has led many a tire dealer wondering how the characteristics of these vehicles will affect tires. EVs have heavy batteries and instant torque, which creates a perfect storm for these vehicles to eat up tires. However, that's not always the case, and tire manufacturers today are evaluating their current tire lines and working on strategies for how to address this vehicle segment.
In this episode of What's Treading with Tire Review, presented by AAPEX, I wanted to share an interview I did for our EV sister publication, The Buzz, on its podcast, "The Amped EV Podcast." Myself and the Tire Review team have interviewed tire manufacturers over the last few years asking about their strategies for addressing the unique characteristics of EVS in their product lines. In this podcast, myself and David Sickels, editor of The Buzz and senior editor for Tire Review, look to answer some burning questions about tires for EVs, delve into examples of how different tiremakers are addressing this vehicle segment and give you some actionable answers as to how your shop can prepare to see more EVs in your bays down the line.
EPISODE OVERVIEW:

How different tire makers are approaching the EV segment (0:44);
If the EV designation or dedicated EV tire lines are actually needed (5:20);
Are EVs good or bad for a tire dealer’s business? (8:11);
The level of training shops should seek out to handle EVs (12:11);
How EVs are the next evolution in tire technology and why more education around EVs and tires is needed for shop owners (15:27)

Subscribe to the audio podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts.

Big O’s Brian Maciak: ‘We Have Aggressive Plans’ for Growth May 03, 2023

Show notes

Already this year, Big O Tires added 12 locations to its network of stores and is promising even more growth in the years to come. The franchise hit the $1 billion sales mark in 2021 and announced its eastward expansion. But Brian Maciak, president of Big O Tires, explained that while growth is the goal, the franchise can’t do that without a mutually beneficial relationship with Big O Tires and TBC Corp. So, how is Big O promoting this type of healthy growth?
In this episode of What’s Treading with Tire Review, presented by AAPEX, we connected with Maciak to discuss how Big O plans to grow its footprint, the resources it gives its franchisees and the organization’s plans for a more digital customer experience.
OVERVIEW

How Big O plans to achieve “monumental” growth (0:40);
The way analytics play a role in finding markets for growth (3:53);
Spreading brand awareness through digital transformation (7:27);
Ways Big O is staying close to its franchisees and helping them with succession planning (11:57);
What sets Big O apart from other automotive repair franchises (15:27).

Watch the video podcast here or on YouTube and subscribe to the audio podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts. You can also read the full interview below.

Maine Right to Repair Update with VIP Tires & Service's Tim Winkeler Apr 19, 2023

Show notes

When we talk about the hot-button issues in the industry, we can’t have a conversation without mentioning right to repair. Right now, the fight is over having access to a vehicle’s telematics data, and industry organizations are fighting for this right both at a federal and state level in the US.
One tire business that is deep into the right-to-repair battle in Maine is VIP Tires & Service, which has played a crucial role in securing a ballot referendum around the issue for the upcoming November election cycle. In this episode of What’s Treading with Tire Review, presented by AAPEX, we’re joined by Tim Winkeler, president and CEO of VIP Tires & Service, to learn how his team is leading the effort to educate consumers about right-to-repair in Maine and why this issue should be top-of-mind for auto repair shops across the country.
EPISODE OVERVIEW
- How the right-to-repair initiative started in Maine and next steps to take before November elections (1:19)
- The ways VIP Tires & Service and other aftermarket professionals in Maine are looking to educate consumers about right to repair (2:53)
- The history behind VIP Tires & Service’s involvement in right to repair both nationally and locally (5:02)
- A Tesla example from the VIP Tires & Service bays that demonstrates the necessity of access to a vehicle’s telematics data (7:22)
- Why right to repair is important to the accessibility of the automotive industry (10:08)
- How tire dealers can emphasize to the customer their right to access their vehicle’s data and what it means for their vehicle care (12:00)
Watch the video podcast on YouTube: http://www.tirereview.com/right-to-repair-maine-update
Subscribe to the audio podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts.
More on Right to Repair: https://www.autocare.org/government-relations/current-issues/access-to-and-control-of-vehicle-data
More from AAPEX: www.aapexshow.com

Top Shops: Tips for Recruiting and Retaining Employees Apr 04, 2023

Show notes

For decades, technician recruitment and retention has been a pain point for tire dealers and shop owners. An emphasis on college degrees over the years has overtaken the importance of skilled trades. Of course, our industry sees behind the veil of this with a lot of skilled service advisors and technicians making a pretty good living. So, what’s what a tire dealer to do when faced with a tougher-than-ever labor market?
We asked our 2022 Top Shop Winner and Finalists how they’re grappling with it in this episode of What’s Treading with Tire Review, presented by AAPEX.
EPISODE OVERVIEW

Don Foshay Jr., owner of Don Foshay’s Discount Tire & Alignment, a two-time Top Shop finalist, on how he structures employee referral programs and benefits. (1:37)
Aaron Telle, president and CEO of Telle Tire & Auto Centers, our 2023 Top Shop Winner, describes how he and Laura Telle, chief people officer and Aaron’s wife, strive to create work-life balance for employees. (4:22)
Rich Elliott, president of Best-One of Indy, and Scott Monteith, vice president, explain how they use their values to guide the company’s growth and create a family-like atmosphere. (8:47)

More What's Treading: https://www.tirereview.com/category/podcasts/whats-treading-tire-review-podcast/
More on the 2023 AAPEX Show: www.aapexshow.com

Making Sense of Today's Ag Tire Technology with Scott Sloan Mar 22, 2023

Show notes

Over the past three decades, ag tire technology has evolved. No longer do your farmer customers have one choice for their tractors, sprayers and other equipment. With the proliferation of SKUs, the same size comes with different technology, and as a tire dealer, your job is to keep track of the technological differences between tires and how they’ll help or hinder your customers’ operations.
To help us differentiate ag tire technology in the market today, Scott Sloan, global ag/LSW product manager for Titan International and a 20-plus-year tire industry veteran, joins us on the podcast today. In this episode of What’s Treading with Tire Review, presented by AAPEX, Scott explains the difference between IF and VF technology, how to use it and other Goodyear tire tech as well as what to expect in the future of ag tire construction.
EPISODE OVERVIEW

What IF and VF ag tire tech does and how to use it (0:56)
How tire dealers can be an educational resource for their customers around ag tire tech on the market (6:25)
The meaning of LSW in ag tire tech and the science behind how it works (10:12)
How Titan’s UFT technology is looking to simplify ag tire sizing and tech for farmers and dealers (18:49)
What Scott sees as future trends in ag tires (21:40)

Subscribe to What's Treading on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts.
Want to listen to more What's Treading episodes? Click here: https://www.tirereview.com/category/podcasts/whats-treading-tire-review-podcast/
Learn more about our sponsor, the AAPEX Show, at www.aapexshow.com.

Tire Pros' Greg Bell Shares Franchise's Growth Strategy for 700 Stores This Year Mar 08, 2023

Show notes

Thoughtful growth has fueled the Tire Pros franchise. Not only does it want to grow with more dealers across the US, but it also wants those dealers to be the right partners to grow with. Now with 400-plus dealer franchisees that together have more than 600 independent locations in 44 states, Tire Pros has goals to further its expansion efforts while focusing on bringing the dealers who are the right fit into the fold.
To hear more about where and how Tire Pros wants to grow its footprint, we caught up with Greg Bell, president of American Tire Distributor's Tire Pros subsidiary, a few weeks ago at Tire Pros' 2023 National Business Conference in San Diego, California. There, Greg filled us in on the geographic areas in which Tire Pros wants to grow, the training resources the franchise launched this year and the group's priorities for 2023 in the latest episode of What's Treading with Tire Review, presented by AAPEX.
EPISODE OVERVIEW:

Geographic areas in which Tire Pros wants to grow (1:10)
How Tire Pros is looking to help dealers with succession planning and keep dealer locations in the franchise (3:08)
Tire Pros’ playbook its dealers are creating for various shop positions (6:35)
Tire Pros’ priorities for 2023, including tire recycling (9:54)

Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
More from Tire Review: www.tirereview.com
More from AAPEX: www.aapexshow.com

Falken Tires Update with Rick Brennan, VP of Marketing Feb 21, 2023

Show notes

Like many tiremakers, the Falken brand experienced the supply chain woes brought on by the pandemic, and as recovery continues, it’s looking forward to another exciting year in 2023. Just late last year, Falken launched a pair of new tires that promise to cover more fitments for dealers so that the brand can be their go-to in the marketplace.
In this episode of What’s Treading with Tire Review, presented by AAPEX, Rick Brennan, vice president of strategic planning for Sumitomo Rubber North America, sat down with us to tell us about those products, investments in manufacturing and what’s in store for 2023.
EPISODE OVERVIEW

How the new Falken Azenis FK460 will fill a need in a key segment for Falken (0:48)
How the Falken Wildpeak R/T will enhance the company’s light truck product lineup (3:07)
The status of SRNA’s $122 million upgrade of its New York plant (5:12)
The role of OE fitments in Falken’s product strategy (7:07)
New product launches to expect from the Falken brand in 2023 (8:50)

Subscribe to What’s Treading on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts. You can also read the full podcast transcript at https://www.tirereview.com/category/podcasts/whats-treading-tire-review-podcast/.
More from AAPEX: www.aapexshow.com

Innovations in Shop Management Software with TCS Technologies Feb 08, 2023

Show notes

We can all accomplish tasks with an easy click of a button today. Take shop management systems, for example. With a few clicks, you can order new tires or parts, invoice customers and even check on a vehicle’s status in your shop workflow or check in on your accounting. Shop management systems allow you to manage your shop, literally, at your fingertips, and one company has purposely changed the way it packaged its shop management software to make it easier for dealers like you to get the tools you need.
That is TCS Technologies, a company that creates software, websites and marketing tools for tire dealers, distributors and auto repair shops. In this episode of What’s Treading with Tire Review, sponsored by AAPEX, we caught up with Jefferson Carpenter, director and general manager, to delve into what TCS’ software offers, features dealers might be missing out on and TCS’s recent integrations with companies in the tire industry to streamline shop processes.
EPISODE OVERVIEW
- Key features of TCS’s TirePower and TireWorks HD (0:45)
- Changes TCS made in how it sells its software to dealers to help make tire dealer businesses more efficient (1:50)
- Integrations with Tiremetrix, Bartec and Hunter Engineering and how they work (3:04)
- Common tools that go unutilized in shop software and how TCS is bridging the gap with dealers in making sure ROI-generating features are used by service advisors, owners and staff (6:40)
-Jefferson’s experience at tire shops and how his experience informs his role with TCS today (8:50)
- Recent upgrades and features to TCS software and what tire dealers should know about TCS going into 2023; TCS’s recent partnership with Bridgestone’s affiliated dealer network (11:18)
Subscribe to What's Treading with Tire Review wherever you get your podcasts.
More What's Treading: https://www.tirereview.com/category/podcasts/whats-treading-tire-review-podcast/
More from AAPEX: www.aapexshow.com

Top Shops: Opportunities & Challenges in Today's Tire Industry Jan 25, 2023

Show notes

As we head into a new year, there’s definitely some skepticism about what the tire industry—and the economy as a whole—has in store. I mean, we’re still recovering from the pandemic, and this year is slated to be the first “normal year” in a while. With that, though, comes both challenges and opportunities for independent tire dealers across North America. Yet, tire dealers tell us that one thing is for sure: the tire business will remain resilient.
To discuss the challenges and opportunities this business brings, we asked our 2022 Top Shop Winner and Finalists: What is one thing that scares you and one thing that excites you about the tire industry?
This is the second part of a three-part series of interviews with our 2022 Top Shops that we recorded last year during our Top Shop Event in Nashville, Tennessee last summer. Listen to what today’s top tire dealers had to say about the state of the industry as you prepare for the year ahead.

President & CEO Aaron Telle, Telle Tire & Auto Center, 2022 Top Shop Winner (1:39)
President Rich Elliot and Vice President Scott Monteith, Best-One of Indy, 2022 Top Shop Finalist (3:19)
President Don Foshay, Jr., Don Foshay's Discount Tire & Alignment, 2022 Top Shop Finalist (6:33)

Subscribe to the audio podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts.
More from Tire Review: www.tirereview.com
More from AAPEX: www.aapexshow.com

Kenda Updates UHP Tires to Win Racing Podiums, Talks ‘Four-Season’ Tires Jan 12, 2023

Show notes

After a few years of supply chain challenges and navigating tariffs, Kenda Tire is looking to expand, as it has released new and updated products in key segments. First, it has made its entry into the all-weather—or what Kenda is calling the “four-season” segment—with its Vezda Touring 4S. Now with updated UHP lines, Kenda hopes to take its “Podium to Pavement” philosophy it has proven in its light truck offerings to the track and gain traction.
To delve into all that is going on with Kenda Tire in North America, we caught up with Ryan Lewis, marketing manager for Kenda’s automotive division, during Industry Week. In this episode of What’s Treading with Tire Review, presented by AAPEX, Ryan delves into what to expect from Kenda this year and how the company is looking to better serve its channel partners.
EPISODE OVERVIEW:

Updates on Kenda’s Klever M/T2 product (0:27)
How Kenda is entering the all-weather segment and why it is referring to it as “four season” (1:29)
Updates to Kenda’s UHP tire lines and how it aims to prove its “podium to pavement” philosophy in performance racing (3:16)
Updates on Kenda’s e-learning platform (4: 58)

Subscribe to What's Treading with Tire Review on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
More What's Treading: https://www.tirereview.com/category/podcasts/whats-treading-tire-review-podcast/
More on the AAPEX Show: www.aapexshow.com

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