MTD Mid-Year Q&A: AOT Builds on First-Half Momentum

In this MTD exclusive, Chris Brackin, president of American Omni Trading Co. (AOT), explains how AOT has continued to successfully grow its business.

MTD: What was the first half of 2026 like for AOT? What have been some of the company's challenges and achievements?

Brackin: It was an exciting first half of the year for AOT. Even with the challenges presented by global supply chain disruptions due to the war and slower consumer demand in Q1, we have been successful both in growing our business with key customers and introducing multiple new brands and products to the market. In March, we launched the all-new Recon Trail family of tires for the UTV segment and in May we exclusively reintroduced the Wanli passenger and light truck program to the U.S. market as the proud representative of this well-known brand. And our core brands, Thunderer and Americus, continue to experience tremendous growth, driven by the success of the PartnerUp Associate Dealer Program and the launch of all new marketing campaigns.

MTD: What's the state of replacement PLT tire demand like at the mid-year point? What are you hearing from your distributors and dealers? What are you seeing?

Brackin: As we all know, consumer demand was soft in Q1 due to a number of factors, impacting sales at both the wholesale and retail levels and leaving our customers with higher than expected inventory levels. However, there are clear signs of demand growth across the distribution chain, as weather conditions have improved and tax refunds have given the market a needed shot in the arm. Higher gas prices could mitigate this demand growth somewhat if they remain at current levels, but as consumers are getting squeezed, this will continue the tier down growth we have been seeing. Also miles driven are up and the traditional summer driving season should support continued consumer demand, especially for tires in the economy tier.

MTD: AOT offers products in just about every category and as you mentioned, recently has made  a renewed investment in the ATV/UTV segment. What potential do you see in this segment and other niche categories? Are there other product segments where you're planning to increase your presence and/or investment?

Brackin: AOT covers a wide range of products in all segments and our category management teams look to identify opportunities across multiple product categories. Our ultimate goal is to bring our customers incremental sales and profit potential. We see the fast-growing UTV market as one such area of opportunity, which is why we developed and introduced our new Recon Trail family of radial tires for this segment. There are several other non-PLT/TBR segments where we are actively working to develop new and exciting products for our customers and we’ll have more details as we get closer to launching them.

MTD: What investments is AOT making in its manufacturing and supply chain capabilities to maintain a robust flow of products into the U.S. market and ensure availability?

Brackin: In today’s ever changing and dynamic importation environment, diversification is absolutely essential to ensuring a strong and consistent flow of products to the US market. As such, we are always looking across the manufacturing landscape to identify potential new partners, while at the same time working to strengthen our linkages to our current suppliers through investments in tooling and our office in Qingdao, China. Also as a full-service importer, we consistently invest in technologies that help support the management of the full supply chain. This includes investments in supply chain management software, as well as automation of processes that have provided better visibility to an order status along the whole route. Lastly, we have increased our footprint with our D/Cs in the US and will be looking to add in one more before year end. 

Today we service customers from four strategically located, domestic D/Cs. It’s becoming clear that to fully service the rapidly changing tire distribution model in the U.S., having the ability to provide multiple fulfillment options is important to supporting customers product needs. Retailers and wholesalers are looking to reduce overall lead times and inventory stocking levels, while maintaining access to factory direct ordering. Having a consistent supply of domestically available inventory helps protect our customers from stock-outs due to unexpected sales spikes, promotional activities or other factors. To be a full service provider in today’s market means having this capability.

MTD: What can we expect to see from AOT during the rest of the year and into 2027?

Brackin: Our company and employees are always looking for what's next, so you can expect a lot! In addition to the continued roll-out of the Wanli brand, we will be introducing new sizes in the Lancaster PLT program, which we exclusively distribute in the U.S. We will also be adding sizes and enhancements to our bias, ag, industrial and specialty tires in the Deestone and Cropmax brands. And in Q4, we will introduce a new TBR program for the economy tier. We are also proud to be the exclusive tire sponsor of the Toledo Jeep Fest in August with the Thunderer brand. And as always, we will be investing in the technologies, systems and people needed to ensure the efficient and effective management of our supply chain to our customers.