“Last month I wrote that due to sharply lower raw material costs during 4Q11 I would not expect to see any further tire price hikes anytime soon. Unfortunately that was a wrong call because predictability of future raw material prices is all but impossible,” says tire industry analyst Saul Ludwig in the latest installment of the "Ludwig Report" in Modern Tire Dealer magazine.

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"The challenge of selling big ticket products in today’s economic climate is indeed daunting and to boot, with most tire companies just having announced a new round of price hikes, your job won’t get any easier," says tire industry analyst Saul Ludwig in the latest installment of the "Ludwig Report" in Modern Tire Dealer magazine.

Tags: Ludwig Report, Saul Ludwig, Winter tires

"As expected, wholesale tire prices are going up as much as 8% in March as raw materials took a big jump up in January 2011,” says Saul Ludwig in the latest installment of the "Ludwig Report" in Modern Tire Dealer magazine.

Tags: Ludwig Report, Raw material costs, Saul Ludwig

"In the first five months of 2010, manufacturers shipped 12% more consumer replacement tires to dealers and/or wholesalers than in the same five months of 2009, yet I estimate that retail sell-out may have increased about 3%," says Saul Ludwig in the latest installment of the "Ludwig Report" in Modern Tire Dealer magazine.

Tags: Ludwig Report, Replacement tires, Saul Ludwig, Tire shipments

“If your business hasn’t picked up smartly so far in 2010, you had better look at why not,” says Saul Ludwig in the latest installment of the "Ludwig Report" in Modern Tire Dealer magazine.

Tags: Ludwig Report, Saul Ludwig

"In case you didn't notice, tire shipments to OEM auto manufacturers rose a whopping 26% in December, and this strength is expected to continue through the first quarter of 2010, at least," says Saul Ludwig in the latest installment of the "Ludwig Report" in Modern Tire Dealer magazine.

Tags: Ludwig Report, Saul Ludwig