Modern Tire Dealer recently received a press release from a public relations firm representing Morpheus Investments Inc., which does business as Tire Works Total Car Care in Las Vegas.

The Mid-America Tire Dealers Association, a Kansas-based trade organization, is not waiting for the economy to turn before it springs into action. In an effort to grow and become stronger -- especially politically -- it is actively seeking members from two surrounding states: Oklahoma and Nebraska.

First it was floor mats. Then accelerator pedals. Now brakes and power steering hoses. Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. is starting the year off on a bad note.

When Armand Allaire was named national vice president of sales for Kumho Tire U.S.A. Inc. last October, President J.B. Kim said Allaire "brings a unique blend of salesmanship and management experience to Kumho."

On Sept. 26, 2009, a 35% tariff was added to the cost of a consumer tire imported from China. What has happened since then?

Competition is the lifeblood of sports in the United States. Maybe that's why two of the largest tire manufacturers in the world have chosen to battle it out on the field -- and ice.

"There's never been a better deal on a Saturn," reads the corporate Web site for Saturn LLC, a division of General Motors Corp. Well, former division.

I received a call the other day from a tire dealer who was upset about the way he was being treated by a supplier. His dealership is a community institution, a well-respected place of business known for the way it treats its customers.

Who works on Thanksgiving? That's what I wanted to find out when I checked my e-mails today. There were nine e-mails listed as having been sent Thursday, Nov. 25, 2009.

The best phrase I can use to describe the 2009 Specialty Equipment Market Association, or SEMA, Show in Las Vegas is that it "exceeded expectations."