MTD Mid-Year Q&A: What's Ahead for AOT
American Omni Trading Co. (AOT) is rolling out new products, a new partnership and more, says Chris Brackin, the company’s president.
MTD: Can you bring us up to speed on AOT's performance so far this year? What have some of AOT's accomplishments and challenges been?
Brackin: We have had a great start to our year as several of the new initiatives that we had planned kicked in. The biggest launch for AOT in 2025 was the introduction of our Partner Up Associate Dealer Program for our Americus and Thunderer brands. In addition, our new marketing campaign has taken shape, which has spotlighted the value adds that AOT brings to the market for our customers. It goes without saying that the biggest challenge thus far this year has been the introduction of the Trump tariffs. The uncertainty around what product is attached to which tariff - along with the lack of clarity around the timing of the tariffs - has been a challenge to navigate.
MTD: What's your take on the state of the consumer tire and TBR tire markets in the U.S. at the moment? What's demand like right now? What are you hearing from your customers?
Brackin: We are still seeing the demand being strong for PLT and TBR products. With the prices rising on all other types of products, we are seeing consumers tier-down, which has led to strong sellout for our products.
MTD: Last year, you mentioned that AOT is "also focused on developing and introducing additional new product segments such as all-weather, EV and ultra-aggressive all-terrain and mud-terrain tires." Can you update us on progress that has been made on those fronts?
Brackin: We launched all 41 sizes in our Mach 1 Plus and Recon Tour performance product lines in 2024. We started 2025 with the release of our brand-new Americus and Omni Trail STR patterns, a proprietary pattern designed to meet the heavy-duty needs of new trailers entering the market. We will continue to add in the larger diameter sizes in our A/T tires, along with a launch of a new R/T pattern to be released before the end of the year. We are also expanding out our ATV / UTV product lines with the release of our new Recon Trail family of products. And lastly, we are re-introducing our exclusive Omni Cargo TBR line ... with new tread patterns and applications.
MTD: Looking at supply, will the Trump tariffs have an impact on AOT's sourcing and/or manufacturing strategy and if so, in what ways?
Brackin: While the Trump tariffs have created confusion in the industry, the one good thing is that we are all in this boat together. With the auto part tariffs, which affects the PLT segment, no country escapes from the impact of the 25% (tariff) at this time. So our strategy has not shifted as we remain committed to our core long-term supply partners. As for the reciprocal tariffs, this will vary by country and has not largely impacted our supplier base. We are moving forward with our strategy to launch some new additions in the bias and radial specialty segment from alternative countries in the second half of 2025.
MTD: What can we expect to see from AOT during the rest of 2025?
Brackin: We are making enhancements to our systems to provide information quicker to our customers, along with other ways to make it easier to buy from AOT. We have made some great additions to our team, which will help us continue to provide the best service possible to our customers. You can also be on the lookout for a re-launch to our Vercelli product line with our repositioned price and sourcing partner. And finally, stay tuned for exciting news about AOT’s newest partnership that will re-introduce one of the industry's leading manufacturers to the U.S. market.
Uncertain times call for stability, clear-minded thinking and a commitment to providing solutions to our customers. AOT is uniquely positioned to help our customers navigate this dynamic environment, allowing them to stay focused on their long-term goals for success.