Del-Nat celebrates 20-year anniversary

Jan. 15, 2009

Del-Nat Tire Corp. is celebrating 20 years in business this year.   

In April, Del-Nat will hold its annual "Kick-Off Meeting" in Memphis, Tenn., highlighted by a formal gala on Saturday, April 4, to celebrate the 20-year milestone.The four-day event will include stockholder meetings, marketing meetings, guest speakers, group events and a vendor trade show. The company was formed on Jan. 1, 1989, when Delta Tire and National Tire merged. For the last 20 years, the not-for-profit cooperative has distributed tires and other tire-related products from its 500,000 square foot warehouse in Memphis, Tenn.  

Combining the resources of the two private brand tire companies led to greater sourcing opportunities while increasing cost savings for the customer base, the company says. Today Del-Nat reports it is the largest dealer-owned private brand tire company in the world.  

Though Del-Nat is 20 years old, the two brands are much older, notes the company. The National Tire brand has been around since 1935 and the Delta brand since 1959. Both the Delta and National brands maintain separate identities and are marketed within exclusive territories by stockholders of Del-Nat Tire Corp. Currently, there are 25 National stockholders and 49 Delta stockholders around the United States and Canada. In addition to its stockholders, Del-Nat sells to its direct distributors in the U.S. and Canada and to export customers around the world.   

Its products include UHP, passenger, LT/SUV, ST trailer, truck and bus radial, bias highway, industrial, farm, OTR and lawn and garden tires.   

In the past year, Del-Nat says it has introduced new business programs and marketing tools that bring more value to both its wholesale and retail customers. “Since we only sell within our group of stockholders and direct distributors, it makes sense to become more of a resource to them,” says Marketing Manager Denise Rawls.