As we try to climb out of the recession, both physically and mentally, I want to focus on the positive signs that 2010 will be better than 2009.
Tags: bob ulrich, Editorial, Tire sales
No union has been in the news of late more than the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union. You know them as the United Steelworkers (USW).
Tags: bob ulrich, Chinese tire imports, Editorial, USW
The World of Rubber is now closed, and Charles Goodyear (at least his statue) has left the building.
Tags: bob ulrich, Goodyear
Comments(2)
What are the consequences of bad service? We are told that dissatisfied customers are more vocal than satisfied customers, but how great is the damage, really?
Tags: bob ulrich, Editorial, Service
Wow. On June 29, the International Trade Commission (ITC) voted to remedy what it considered a threat to domestic tire manufacturing — Chinese consumer tire imports — with a 55% tariff!
Tags: bob ulrich, Chinese tire imports, United Steelworkers, USW
Comments(1)
One hundred editorials. It’s hard to believe that I’ve been editor of Modern Tire Dealer since July of 2000. With 100 editorials under my belt, I thought I’d revisit some of them, for better or worse.
Tags: bob ulrich, CEC, Editorial, Right to Repair, Tire aging
Tires are billboards for consumer information. And if you think the nomenclature is overbearing now, wait until the California Energy Commission (CEC) completes its fuel efficient tire program assignment.
Tags: bob ulrich, CEC, RMA, Rolling resistance
I like Sean Kane. Over the phone he comes across as a likeable guy with an admirable agenda: He wants to improve the tire purchasing experience for consumers.
Tags: Sean Kane, Tire aging, tire safety
Music, according to the late British playwright William Congreve, has “charms to soothe a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.” Wow, that’s pretty powerful. Sort of like Kevlar.
Tags: Hotrods, Music
Are retreads the cause of rubber on the road? Those of us in the industry know that a properly retreaded tire will not fail simply because it is retreaded. And we understand their importance.
Tags: casings, retreaded, retreads, rubber on the road
In just 12 years, Barack Obama has gone from a politically inexperienced state senator to president of the United States. I, on the other hand, have been at Modern Tire Dealer twice that long.
Tags: CAFE standards, TIA, tire inflation
It’s time to start over, and to push harder this time for the Right to Repair Act. Our industry needs to wholeheartedly support it when it is reintroduced after the 111th Congress convenes this month.
Tags: ASA, NASTF, Right to Repair
Your employees are your greatest asset. Do you treat them as such? Do you offer them benefits? At the very least, do you offer them medical insurance?
Tags: benefits, insurance
The new agreement will not affect our long-range corporate strategy, and we will not change the way Continental conducts day-to-day business.” There you have it, straight from Continental Tire North America Inc. (CTNA) executives Matthias Schöenberg and Andreas Gerstenberger.
What energy crisis?” I asked in my March 2006 editorial. At the time, gas prices were hovering around a then-unheard of $2.25 a gallon, and so-called “energy problems” were threatening to destroy our way of life.
How do we know if we have sold affected valve stems that fall into this recall?” asked a dealer via e-mail. Good question, so I decided to find out. The question stemmed from the recent recall of tire valves manufactured by Topseal Shanghai Auto-Parts Co. Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shanghai Baolong Industries Co. Ltd., from July through November in 2006.
Driving on a tire with 2/32nds-inch tread depth is safe. Driving on a tire with 4/32nds-inch tread depth is safe.
When the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) mandated tire pressure monitoring systems on all light vehicles sold in the United States, tire dealers had little say in the matter.
A recent Wall Street Journal story revealed that the “CBS Evening News” and news anchor Katie Couric are expected to part ways before the end of the year. In other news, the NBC remake of the “Bionic Woman” was canceled after half a season.
Whenever I hear that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a “Notice of proposed rulemaking” that potentially affects the tire industry, I get a little nervous. On Jan. 24, I prepared for the worst.