Fifty-one suppliers were on hand to showcase their wares at the Myers Tire Supply Sales Meeting and Vendor Fair, held in Cincinnati, Ohio, in March.
The purpose of the event was to make sure Myers Tire Supply (MTS) salespeople were up-to-date on what the company offers to tire dealers, automobile dealerships, retreaders and commercial fleets. That includes the MTS private brand line of tools and equipment.
Last year, MTS introduced the most SKUs in the company’s history: some 300 to 400, says Marketing Manager Larry Edgell. The company also added 20,000 non-inventory items to its catalog.
On the suppliers side, featured products included new Coats tire changers (including the ProGuard Plus) and wheel balancers; Hofmann and Perfect wheel weights; and Bartec tire pressure monitoring system tools. There were retreading tools from B&J Manufacturing and tire repairs from Patch Rubber Co. (a division of Myers Industries Inc.).
The company also unveiled the MTS vending machine. Geared to the automotive aftermarket, it is manufactured by Apex Supply Chain Technologies LLC.
According to Brian Henderson, vice president of North American sales for Apex, the inventory management system tracks high-cost, high-use and “mission critical” items in the shop.
Two years ago, MTS completed the consolidation of its 36 distribution centers into four. Vice President and General Manager Todd Smith, who helped orchestrate the strategy, said the move allowed the company to increase its SKUs, centralize purchasing and track demand history, all “to better service the customer.” Future plans call for automating the D/Cs. ■
