Two of the country's largest tire dealer program groups, Tire Factory LLC and the Independent Tire Dealers Group LLC (ITDG), have joined forces to create a West Coast-based commercial truck tire dealer servicing network, which will operate as part of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.’s fleetHQ national account program.
"We hope to put together more than 100 locations by the end of the year,” says Anthony Showen, spokesman for Tire Factory, which is based in Portland, Ore.
Most of Tire Factory’s dealer-members do business in the Pacific Northwest, while a large percentage of ITDG’s members operate in California. ITDG also has a presence in Arizona and some other states.
Tire Factory approached ITDG about forming the venture, according to Showen. “ITDG provides coverage where Tire Factory does not have a strong presence.”
“Tire Factory knows we’re a pretty big player on the West Coast,” says Michael Cox, CEO and president of ITDG, whose group has 115 members who represent more than 300 tire and service locations. Tire Factory has approximately 200 locations.
“They needed us going from northern California, down through southern California, and even into Arizona.”
About 40% of ITDG’s members and 70 Tire Factory members sell medium truck tires. Although fleetHQ is a Goodyear program, the new servicing network is open to dealers who currently do not sell Goodyear truck tires, according to Cox.
"If you want to sign up and do what’s necessary and take on the line, and there is no significant conflict in your trading area, we absolutely would like (a dealer) to consider" enrolling in the network, provided that “Goodyear signs off on it.”
Tire Factory Commercial Business Manager Larry Orr is spearheading the new Tire Factory-ITDG program. “Building the network and getting the dealers trained inside the program will take most of the next four to five months,” says Showen.
