Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. says American Tire Distributors Inc. (ATD) is no longer distributing its Cooper and Mastercraft branded tires.
Goodyear confirmed to MTD that Asphalt Buyer II, the company that bought ATD in March, “is not a wholesale distributor for its (Cooper) Medallion and/or Century dealer programs or Mickey Thompson tires and wheels.”
ATD so far has not responded to MTD’s request for comment.
Goodyear says its Century, Medallion and Mickey Thompson customers “will continue to receive supply of Cooper, Mastercraft and Mickey Thompson product.” The tiremaker also noted that its “authorized wholesale distributors are committed to providing a seamless transition process for our customers, ensuring continued satisfaction and support for the full portfolio.”
Those authorized wholesale distributors include independents all across the country, but they naturally would also include TireHub, which Goodyear created in April 2018 in partnership with Bridgestone Americas Inc.
Three years after the launch of TireHub, Goodyear bought Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. Cooper-branded products were added to TireHub warehouses in April 2022. Mickey Thompson tires landed on TireHub shelves a year later, in May 2023.
In an email to customers Goodyear called this change "a rare opportunity to switch your Medallion/Century programming to direct (shipments.) Current ATD Medallion/Century dealers will receive an email requesting your choice of new WD." Those wishing to switch to a direct account are advised to contact their customer development manager.
The email says Medallion/Century incentives earned by dealers, and purchases to date, will be counted towards the dealer's annual program goals with whomever they choose as their new wholesale distributor. And "any units purchased from ATD during the next 15 days, through June 17, will still count towards their annual program incentives and goals.
"Dealers who switch to a new WD will receive a $750 bonus if they hit their annual program targets for 2025 by year end.
"ATD is permitted to continue SSP and car dealer deliveries until their inventory is depleted" through Sept. 30, 2025.
The email concludes with, "It was a tough decision, but ultimately one that was made with growth, alignment and stability in mind. We now are looking to the rest of our distributors to immediately seize this opportunity to showcase their commitment to growing our brands, and make sure all customers continue to receive full access to Cooper products during this brief transitional period."
