Commenting on Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.’s pending acquisition of Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., Brad Hughes, Cooper's president and CEO, said that “when you look at the whole of it, in most cases, it’s going to offer more opportunities than risk." What’s the Goodyear brand’s current representation among the largest independent tire dealerships in the U.S.? And how many U.S.-based dealerships carry Cooper brand tires?

What hasn’t changed in the last eight years? The sale price of Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. With its second acquisition deal in a decade underway, the price stands at $2.5 billion.

The late Harvey Brodsky often proclaimed, “Retreading is recycling!” And he was right. Retreading was recycling long before recycling and “going green” were mainstream. But retreading is many other things, too. Here are some interesting facts about the North American retreading market.

In the November issue of MTD, I wrote that “electric vehicles are here to stay.” This statement has been underscored by two recent announcements - one by the White House and another by one of the world’s largest automobile manufacturers.

You might be tempted to think that the current antidumping investigation of consumer tires made in South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam is an unprecedented development.

As we approach the start of a new year, I would be remiss if I failed to mention a very special honor that was recently bestowed on a member of the extended MTD family.

As 2020 draws to a close, the big question seems to be, “What will the new year bring?” Curtis Brison, vice president of passenger and light truck tire sales, Hankook Tire America Corp., recently shared his thoughts with me. Here are Brison’s top five predictions for 2021.

During normal times, few tiremakers - or tire dealers, for that matter - get excited about a "flat" year. But this hasn't been a normal year. And ag tire manufacturers are telling us that in their segment of the market right now, "flat" is actually good.

Earlier this month, the Tire Industry Association’s Roy Littlefield told me that he expects the incoming Biden Administration to tackle COVID-19, infrastructure funding and other issues. 

Tire dealerships partnering with technical schools to identify, develop and recruit young auto service technicians is not necessarily a new idea. But it isn’t always easy to find a winning formula. Here’s how Tire Discounters is working with a well-known trade school to cultivate its next generation of service techs.

The recent passing of Sean Connery - the coolest James Bond - put me in a nostalgic mood for old spy movies and books. While combing through the MTD library, I came across a tale that could have been penned by Bond creator Ian Fleming, if he worked for this publication during the 1960s.

Several months after putting additional tire dealership buy-outs on hold, Monro Inc. is back in the acquisition game, revealing on Oct. 28 that it has picked up Allen Tire Co., a longstanding independent in southern California, for an undisclosed sum.

With nearly 30 years at the helm of Tire Source, an independent tire dealership that has six locations throughout northeastern Ohio, Tom White has dealt with just about every tire retailing scenario that you can imagine.

By now, most MTD readers are aware that Les Schwab Tire Centers, the fifth largest independent tire dealership in the U.S., has been acquired by  Meritage Group LP, an investment firm.