Akron, Ohio, is my hometown. My great grandmother came to Akron from Scotland and was a maid for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. founder Franklin Seiberling. I remember all the rubber factories, and the smell of rubber in the air.

The holiday season is one of the toughest periods for retail tire and automotive service sales. Here are five strategies for beating the winter blahs, courtesy of five very successful tire dealers.

This year's Global Tire Expo truly was a Global Tire Expo. For proof, just look at the sheer number of companies from China that exhibited at the event.

How do you know you're at a successful trade show? When attendees are still walking the aisles less than four hours before it's scheduled to end.

What is the most important service that commercial trucking fleets demand from their medium truck tire suppliers? Emergency on-site service.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is proposing several methods of collecting feedback that will help it develop a consumer education program for tire buyers. I hope tire dealers are included in this process.

During the late 1950s, Modern Tire Dealer published a monthly column called "The sale that taught me the most," in which independent tire dealers recounted their most profound sales experiences.

John Snider, MTD's recently announced Tire Dealer of the Year, is one of the most innovative independent tire dealers in the business.

It was only a matter of time before tire manufacturers began introducing application software (or "apps") for smartphones and other mobile communication devices.

As a partner in ACT Research, a publisher of commercial vehicle data and analysis, Kenny Vieth tracks trucking industry trends very closely. He likes what he's seeing.