• Research
  • Tire Dealer of the Year
  • On the Rise
  • Multimedia
  • Podcasts
  • Digital Magazine
  • About US
  • Home >
  • Back Issues >
  • Modern Tire Dealer >
  • May 2023

    • May 2023

    Photo: Sumitomo Rubber North America Inc.
    “There will be EV owners who prefer tires that were specifically designed for their vehicle if their driving habits align with those tires’ main performance attributes,” says Tsuyoshi Johnson, product manager, PCR tires, Falken Tires, Sumitomo Rubber North America Inc.
    Retail

    Do Electric Vehicles Always Require EV Tires?

    Mike Manges
    June 21, 2023
    Do electric vehicles require tires that are specifically designed for EV applications or can already-existing tires with the correct attributes perform just as well on EVs?
    Photo: Walker Tire Point S
    'I really love what I do and that's the secret to all of this,' says Kapke. 'You have to really love what you are doing.'
    Commercial Business

    Meet 'The Grand Poobah' of Retreading

    Madison Gehring
    June 12, 2023
    Walker Tire Point S, a four-location dealership headquartered in Lincoln, Neb., has an employee at its retreading facility who has worked there for 64 years.
    Dylan Gillis on Unsplash
    Leadership often requires making changes and finding those on your team - or bus, as it may be - who are most willing to adapt and help others make the same change.
    Retail

    How to Drive the Leadership Bus

    T.J. Trum
    June 9, 2023
    Any leadership book will almost certainly discuss the concept of change. However, change is simultaneously both easy and difficult. And that's why it's important to capitalize...
    Photos: Mitchell 1
    This shows a paddle-type bead separator at the 3 o’clock position.
    Service

    TPMS: Ford Edge – 2023

    Mitchell 1
    June 9, 2023
    When directed to train any TPMS sensors on the Ford Edge, Mitchell 1 advises to only use the sensor training procedure outlined in this repair information. The procedure in the...
    Getty Images
    'Since text messages are more personal and less formal, they are more likely to be read than emails,' says Ghanim.
    Retail

    How to Drive More Business Through Texting

    Baker Ghanim
    June 6, 2023
    Baker Ghanim says text messaging has been a game-changer for his eight-location tire dealership. And it could be a game-changer for your business, too.

    More content from May 2023

    Photo: Kent Coleman
    Kent Coleman has grown his single-store Big O Tires franchise into an 11-location network of some of the top producing stores in the country. Five of his locations are among the top 10 stores for sales in the entire Big O Tires organization.
    Retail

    Kent Coleman - The Man Behind 11 Big O Tires Superstores

    Joy Kopcha
    May 25, 2023
    Seventeen years ago, when Kent Coleman bought his first Big O Tires store, he admits he knew nothing about tires or automotive repair.
    Culture creates the experience that both employees and customers feel when they interact with a business or organization, says Greg Ring of GR Consulting LLC.
    Retail

    How to Build a Winning Culture

    Greg Ring
    May 17, 2023
    There are times when you’ve experienced something new and it takes a while to understand what it was and how it became important in your life. Lessons come in so many different...
    Photo: MTD
    Townsend says you can turn your salespeople into superheroes, like these sales reps, by helping them escape their comfort zones.
    Retail

    How to Turn Your Salespeople Into Superheroes

    Mike Townsend
    May 17, 2023
    You’ve heard the term “comfort zone.” What exactly is it? One of the best definitions I have read is the comfort zone is a psychological state in which a person feels at ease ...
    Photo: ITDG
    “When using the Slinky analogy, we’re looking at the quantity of tires on-hand,” he says.
    Wholesale/Distribution

    The Slinky Effect: How To ‘Spring Back’ Inventory Levels

    Mike Manges
    May 16, 2023
    “Dealers should focus on getting quantity carrying values back to normal levels," says Jon Zurcher, chief operating officer, Best-One Tire Group.
    Photo: MTD
    'We need to recognize that cash only changes hands when the value of what we're providing meets or exceeds the customer’s perceived investment,' says O'Connor.
    Retail

    Calculating the True Cost of a Bad Customer Experience

    Randy O'Connor
    May 15, 2023
    I often refer to the “true cost” when working through the value of our work, but I've never really put it in terms of the fallout that occurs when we fall short of delivering ...
    Photo: Iowa City Tire & Service
    Although Iowa City Tire & Service doesn’t do television ads anymore, customers can still see old commercials from the 1980s and 1990’s on the company’s website.
    Retail

    Iowa City Tire Markets With Its Funny Bone

    Madison Gehring
    May 8, 2023
    Andy Miller, owner of Iowa City Tire & Service, says his company is enjoying great success using social media platforms and other digital tools — including memes — to reach new...
    Photo: MTD
    'Given that dealers indicated tire demand was at its weakest point in nearly two years during March 2023, we are not surprised to see consumers who did choose to purchase tires traded down to tier-three brands,' says Healy.
    Retail

    Spring Brings Signs of a Turnaround

    John Healy
    May 3, 2023
    Is retail tire sellout improving? Tire industry analyst and MTD columnist John Healy shares what he's hearing from dealers in this MTD exclusive.
    Photo: Thomas Tire and Automotive
    Many customers have difficulty understanding the importance of undercar service, which is why it is important for dealers to keep them educated, says Sally Thomas, co-owner of Asheboro, N.C.-based Thomas Tire and Automotive.
    Service

    Selling Undercar Service Starts With Prevention

    Madison Gehring
    May 1, 2023
    Many tire dealers would probably agree that tire and brake services are some of the easiest sells to customers. However, suspension and undercar services are a more difficult ...
    Photo: Ford Motor Co.
    'Knowing the motivation of someone else is hard and the only way to get a handle on it is to ask them,' says Van Batenburg.
    Service

    How to Attract Hybrid and EV Customers

    Craig Van Batenburg
    April 26, 2023
    What do you need to do to attract and retain EMV customers? The same thing you are doing now. The four “Ps” of business still apply: product, place, promotion and price.
    Photo: Reno Vulcanizing
    'Most stores deal with a minimum of two rushes - one close to the morning with drop-offs and then again near the end of the day as customers pick up their vehicles,' says McCarron.
    Featured Stories

    Slow Down to Move Faster

    Dennis McCarron
    April 21, 2023
    It’s no secret that the last couple of years have been financially good for the retail tire and service industry. Sales are up, profits are up and car count is largely up across...
    Photo: Ford Motor Co.
    A line of electric Mustang Mach-E vehicles sits outside the factory, ready to ship to customers.
    Featured Stories

    It's Gonna Be ACES

    Michael McGregor
    April 21, 2023
    I enjoy helping tire dealers with mergers and acquisitions but am surprised by how many tire dealers think they can do better representing themselves. Many don’t even try to “...
    Photo: Barnwell House of Tires
    Nearly 40 vehicle technicians representing 20 different fire departments from across Long Island attended the event.
    Commercial Business

    Barnwell House of Tires Educates Firefighters

    Mike Manges
    April 20, 2023
    Barnwell House of Tires recently held a tire and training symposium for Long Island, N.Y.-based fire departments.
    Purcell Tire & Rubber Co.
    The decal, which is available to all tire dealers, states, “With admiration and gratitude, thank you to all the tire technicians who keep our industries running and safe. You are the solid foundation the tire industry stands on.”
    Commercial Business

    New Decal Honors OTR Tire Technicians

    Mike Manges
    April 14, 2023
    A decal honoring OTR tire technicians and the work they do is now available to OTR tire dealers, courtesy of Purcell Tire & Rubber Co.