The delay in the construction of Kumho Tire U.S.A. Inc.'s tire plant in Bibb County, Ga., will not delay the introduction of new Kumho products into the domestic aftermarket, as Modern Tire Dealer Editor Bob Ulrich discovered in the Dominican Republic.
At the "2009 Kumho Dealer Meeting" in Punta Cana, the attendees were introduced to a premium all-terrain tire (Road Venture SAT), five medium truck tires (including a wide-base tire) and an eco-friendly tire (Solus KH-16). The company added that its production capacity -- 64 million tires a year -- is at an all-time high, and will increase to 77 million tires by year's end.
(As for the Georgia plant, Jim Milhaupt, national vice president of sales, says construction has been put on hold for one year. It was originally scheduled to begin production by 2010.)
Ulrich reports on all the new products in a fair and balanced manner (what is this, the FOX Network Web site?). The items, which can be found in our "Breaking News" section, include the following:
* "Kumho introduces premium all-terrain tire";
* "Dealers get to see five new Kumho truck tires"; and
* "'Eco' is the way to go, says Kumho."
Also, check out Ulrich's blog, B.O.B., in which he shares some of the words of wisdom from, of all people, former Auburn head football coach Terry Bowden, who spoke at the dealer meeting!
