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  • March 2023

    • March 2023

    Photo Credit: Utopia Tire
    Ray Ramirez, owner of Utopia Tire & Auto Repair in Frisco, Colo., says you have to understand the customer and your surrounding environment when selling winter tires.
    Madison Gehring
    March 16, 2023
    Many dealers say that selling winter tires boils down to listening to customers’ needs and matching the right tire to their driving patterns.
    Photo Credit: Continental Tire the Americas LLC
    “The 3PMS (designation) is a good measure for acceleration traction on medium-packed snow,” says Phillip Schrader, product manager, touring and U.S. winter tires, PLT replacement business unit, Continental Tire the Americas LLC.
    Mike Manges
    March 16, 2023
    While 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMS) certification might help dealers close the winter tire sale, is it the ultimate validation of winter tire performance?
    Photo Credit: MTD
    “It is far easier if a C-corp changes to an S-corp or LLC five years prior to selling,” says McGregor.
    Michael McGregor
    March 16, 2023
    There really is no good reason for most small, privately held tire dealers to be organized as C-corporations (C-corps) anymore.
    Photo Credit: Dreamstime
    'There will be a period of adjustment and figuring out how best to incorporate true AI into the service writing and diagnostic process,' says McCarron.
    Dennis McCarron
    March 13, 2023
    I would guess that ChatGPT or a similar program will be introduced in some capacity to replace humans somewhere along the automotive service cycle within the next 10 years.
    Photo Credit: Michelin North America Inc.
    When servicing electric vehicles, 'marketing must be considered,' says Craig Van Batenburg. 'You community needs to know what you are doing.'
    Craig Van Batenburg
    March 13, 2023
    I get asked this question almost every week. “What will it cost me to enter the high-voltage world of electric cars and light trucks?”

    More content from March 2023

    Photo Credit: MTD
    Dick Nordness (left), longtime executive director of the Northwest Tire Dealers Association, received a lifetime achievement award from the Tire Industry Association, presented by TIA CEO Dick Gust.
    Mike Manges
    March 10, 2023
    Independent tire dealers in the Pacific Northwest recently lost one of their most ardent champions when Dick Nordness, longtime executive director of the Northwest Tire Dealers...
    Photo Credit: MTD
    Mike Spitale, manager of the Van’s Auto Service & Tire Pros store on the east side of Akron, Ohio, says his team notices a spike in ride control service in the springtime after “people go through the winter hitting potholes and driving on unstable roads.”
    Madison Gehring
    March 9, 2023
    Ride control has always been important to vehicle maintenance, but these services aren’t always the easiest to market to customers.
    Photo Credit: MTD
    'Dealers continue to struggle obtain the right level of inventory,' says Healy.
    John Healy
    March 7, 2023
    Recent industry check-ins with tire dealers leave us with the view that retail sellout trends continue to show softness on a year-over-year basis.
    Photo Credit: MTD
    'Dealers continue to struggle obtain the right level of inventory,' says Healy.
    Randy O'Connor
    March 7, 2023
    Looking back on 2022 — and everything that we could have done, should have done and actually did transpire — how did we, the tire dealer community, do? Let’s look at some numbers...