March 7, 2009
Don Dominguez saw the red flags. He had sold a number of gas vouchers to tire dealers as part of a traffic building promotion, but now was having second thoughts.
Author: Bob Ulrich | Posted @ Saturday, March 7, 2009 10:47 AM | » Comments(1)
February 28, 2009
Everybody seems to know that when times are tough, companies should continue to advertise. Yet in a down economy, the advertising budget is the first to get slashed.
Author: Bob Ulrich | Posted @ Saturday, February 28, 2009 11:15 AM | » Comments(0)
February 23, 2009
With supply high and demand low, global tire manufacturers are looking hard at whether or not to keep their production facilities open.
Author: Bob Ulrich | Posted @ Monday, February 23, 2009 1:00 PM | » Comments(2)
February 15, 2009
NASCAR drive Tony Stewart has an agenda: to destroy the Goodyear name. What other explanation is there after his latest tirade?
Author: Bob Ulrich | Posted @ Sunday, February 15, 2009 11:27 AM | » Comments(10)
February 7, 2009
The 1,017 tire dealers who wave the American Car Care Centers banner at their shops were well represented at the 2009 ACCC Dealer Meeting in Cancun, Mexico. Here are some random thoughts on the event.
Author: Bob Ulrich | Posted @ Saturday, February 7, 2009 2:52 PM | » Comments(0)
February 2, 2009
Our industry's big tie to Super Bowl 43 (oops, sorry, XLIII) was the Bridgestone advertising. There were three big money commercials -- and don't tell me the halftime show wasn't a commercial -- that I estimate cost Bridgestone Americas Inc. well over eight figures.
Author: Bob Ulrich | Posted @ Monday, February 2, 2009 9:16 AM | » Comments(4)
January 28, 2009
The newspapers are calling President Barack Obama's push for stronger CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) "ambitious." I call it "schizophrenic."
Author: Bob Ulrich | Posted @ Wednesday, January 28, 2009 8:48 AM | » Comments(0)
January 28, 2009
Our friend Dick Morgan is a marketing guru. And he wants to help independent tire dealers survive in 2009.
Author: Bob Ulrich | Posted @ Wednesday, January 28, 2009 6:55 AM | » Comments(0)
January 23, 2009
Sometimes it takes a college football coach to know what to say when times appear tough. And the attendees at the Kumho Tire U.S.A. Inc. Dealer Meeting in Punta Cana were appreciative.
Author: Bob Ulrich | Posted @ Friday, January 23, 2009 8:54 AM | » Comments(0)
January 20, 2009
Lost in the disaster that is the U.S. auto industry is a smaller but still significant issue -- defective valve stems.
Author: Bob Ulrich | Posted @ Tuesday, January 20, 2009 6:58 AM | » Comments(2)
January 14, 2009
Wow, is it almost labor contract time again? The timing couldn't be worse, given the state of the economy.
Author: Bob Ulrich | Posted @ Wednesday, January 14, 2009 6:38 AM | » Comments(0)
January 6, 2009
Only one of the Big Three auto makers in Detroit turned down the Bush bailout money: Ford Motor Co. I think that is a sign of future prosperity for the company.
Author: Bob Ulrich | Posted @ Tuesday, January 6, 2009 1:29 PM | » Comments(0)
December 29, 2008
While rummaging through some old files recently, I ran across the "Tire Repair Technician" certificate I had received for completing the Tech International Tire Repair Educational Seminar in 1992.
Author: Bob Ulrich | Posted @ Monday, December 29, 2008 7:25 AM | » Comments(1)
December 22, 2008
Analyst Saul Ludwig thinks tire plant capacity in the U.S. is too high, which may force tire manufacturers to act accordingly in 2009.
Categories: Bobs Videos
Tags: B.O.B, Blog, Bob Ulrich
Author: Bob Ulrich | Posted @ Monday, December 22, 2008 2:47 PM | » Comments(0)
December 22, 2008
As 2008 winds down, tire industry analyst Saul Ludwig talks about what went wrong and why.
Categories: Bobs Videos
Author: Bob Ulrich | Posted @ Monday, December 22, 2008 11:28 AM | » Comments(0)
December 18, 2008
A close knit group of independent tire dealers is a positive among the economic negatives we now face. They can help each other out when an item is out of stock, and give each other tips that can improve their respective bottom lines.
Author: Bob Ulrich | Posted @ Thursday, December 18, 2008 9:44 AM | » Comments(1)
December 15, 2008
There has been too much bad press circulating about our industry of late, particularly about tire manufacturers, so today I will single out Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. and emphasize a very positive scenario -- in "A Christmas Carol" sort of way.
Author: Bob Ulrich | Posted @ Monday, December 15, 2008 8:06 AM | » Comments(0)
December 10, 2008
He was convinced that General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Corp. were building the wrong cars. He believed most American cars "were too large, too heavy, too clumsy and too inefficient to meet the needs of the modern driver."
Author: Bob Ulrich | Posted @ Wednesday, December 10, 2008 7:25 AM | » Comments(0)
December 5, 2008
No one guessed exactly what my blog acronym, B.O.B., refers to. But there is a winner in the "What-the-Heck-does-B.O.B.-Stand-For?" Contest, and he will be sent the $50 prize!
Author: Bob Ulrich | Posted @ Friday, December 5, 2008 8:15 AM | » Comments(0)
December 3, 2008
OK, tire shipments are down, but that doesn't mean the tire manufacturers are phoning it in. Or maybe, if you have an iPhone, it does.
Author: Bob Ulrich | Posted @ Wednesday, December 3, 2008 6:35 AM | » Comments(0)
Sign up for our Enews and receive the latest news, trends, and product information right in your e-mail inbox.