Tire Review articles from August 1991

Tire Review archives from August 1991

Handling tire comebacks: customers and profits are on the line when deciding who's at fault. (column)
August 1, 1991... A customer pulls into your parking lot. He goes to the trunk and removes a shredded tire. By the look on his face, you know he's not happy, and you have a good indication that you, too, will soon be unhappy. He's coming in the store to...

There's no need to kick tires anymore. (Goodyear offers trial period for tires) (Brief Article)
August 1, 1991... Goodyear is currently operating with a "No Excuses" pledge at its 1,100 company-owned retail stores. The program allows an unhappy customer to simply return his Goodyear tires to the store and have his money refunded. The purchaser of...

Contributing a lifetime to the tire industry. (Denman Tire Corp's Henry Walchak retires after 50 years in the industry) (Brief Article)
August 1, 1991... Henry Walchak, a recent retiree from Denman Tire Corp., worked in the tire business longer than a lot of companies have even been in the business. He was recently recognized by Denman for more than 50 years of service to the company. ...

Officials indicate more GTY activity. (Planning)(more GTY Tire Co. ventures in the works) (Brief Article)
August 1, 1991... At the July 22 dedication of the GTY Tire Company's new truck tire plant in Mr. Vernon, IL, a Continental official hinted that more GTY joint venture projects are in the works. The GTY Tire Co. is a formation of Continental/General Tire,...

RITC transforms into RIGAC group. (Name Change)(Retread Industry Technical Committee; Retread/Repair Industry Government Affairs Council) (Brief Article)
August 1, 1991... The Retread Industry Technical Committee, for a couple of reasons, has changed its name to the Retread/Repair Industry Government Affairs Council. Voting members of RIGAC will be the American Retreaders Association, National Tire Dealers &...

Indy Tire Centers buys seven outlets. (Acquisition)(Indy Tire Centers, Inc.) (Brief Article)
August 1, 1991... Indy Tire Centers, Inc. recently completed the purchase of the six Scheid Tire Centers plus a General Tire retail store in the Indianapolis, IN area. The purchase gives Indy eight locations in the Indianapolis area, and allows General Tire...

B/F will send 200 to Nashville. (200 employees of Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. to move to Tennessee) (Brief Article)
August 1, 1991... Following its June announcement of transferring its corporate headquarters from Akron, OH to Nashville, TN, Bridgestone/Firestone now says that about 200 employees have been told that their jobs are going south. In addition, the company...

Goodyear trims Celeron group. (Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.; Celeron Corp.) (Brief Article)
August 1, 1991... Goodyear apparently decided enough is enough, and announced a restructuring of its Celeron subsidiary in July. Celeron owns and operates the All American Pipeline, and has been an acknowledged drain on Goodyear's financial status for some...

Hancook observes 50th year in tires. (Anniversary)(Hancook Tire Manufacturing Co.) (Brief Article)
August 1, 1991... Observing the milestone of 50 years in the tire business this year is Hankook Tire Manufacturing Co. Established in 1941, Hankook claims to be the 12th largest tire manufacturer in the world now, with dealers in all 50 states. Geun-Hi...

Michelin and Sears have 'new' tire. (Retailing)(Michelin et Cie; Sears Tire and Auto Parts) (Brief Article)
August 1, 1991... For the first time, Michelin's name now appears on four lines of Road-Handler radials built by Michelin and sold by Sears. Previously, the Michelin/Sears agreement produced 50 million of the tires, but the Sears name was carried on the side....

Alldata awarded Firestone contract. (Equipment)(Alldata Corp.) (Brief Article)
August 1, 1991... Alldata Corp. reports that is has been awarded a contract to supply its System 3 Automotive Repair Information systems to Firestone dealers and franchises. Through the reseller program, Alldata expects to sell more than 100 System 3...

Dealer charged for unfair practices. (tire dealer)(Talin Tire) (Brief Article)
August 1, 1991... Talin Tire of Long Beach, CA, is under investigation for a claim of unfair business practices, but has tried to make the best of it by undertaking its own in-house investigation. Two former employees allege that one of Talin's managers...

Monroe is pushing ride control safety. (Promotion)(Monroe Auto Equipment Co.) (Brief Article)
August 1, 1991... Again this year touting the importance of undercar inspections for ride control safety, Monroe Autor Equipment has launched a $10 million national marketing and advertising campaign. Jack Sullivan, director of marketing, said Monroe...

Consumer tire guide. (Cover Story)
August 1, 1991... You hear the standard question each day: "What is the best tire?" The only definite answer to that question is: "It depends." The choice of the right tire for a customer's vehicle depends on a number of things. Age of the driver, age...

Former Raider tackle calls signals for Bozeman dealership. (Ron Warzeka)(Jerry Noble Tires, Bozeman, Montana)
August 1, 1991... It's a long nine yards from the gridiron to selling tires in rural Montana, but Ron Warzeka has made the transition. Warzeka, a one-season defensive tackle for the Oakland Raiders professional football club, is now calling both offensive and...

Fluids: auto fluids are the keys to smooth vehicle performance.
August 1, 1991... Every vehicle depends on at least five vital fluids to keep it going: engine oil, transmission fluid and/or gear oil, coolant, brake fluid and power steering fluid. Because technicians use these fluids everyday, it's easy to take them for...

Make your customers stop. (solid break work will boost customer relation)
August 1, 1991... Brake work, done correctly, is probably the easiest automotive service to sell to a customer. A car's braking system is what worries motorists more than anything else if it's not operating correctly. And it should worry you, too. These...

Judging the public perception: first impressions do mean a lot - that includes signs, ads, etc. (column)
August 1, 1991... Continuing his travels from last month, Bill Whitney visits several more tire outlets, rating them on a scale of 1-10 for general appearance, signage, accessibility, informative Yellow Pages advertising, etc. In short, he "becomes" a...

Follow the right course. (avail of the services of systems integration professionals when choosing a computer system)
August 1, 1991... Obtaining a point-of-sale (POS) computer system to address everyday business needs is often confusing and frightening for the tire dealer concerned with profitability. It's less frightening if you take a straightforward approach based on...

A change of focus. (Market Analysis)(Bridgestone's acquisition of Firestone Tire and Rubber Co.) (column)
August 1, 1991... The Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. is gone. From a Fortune 500 company and one of the major industrial concerns in the world, Firestone is leaving its longtime Akron, OH, headquarters and, as an independent brand, the future of the Firestone...

The search for profitability: association's 71st annual show runs Sept. 19-22 in Chicago. (National Tire Dealers and Retreaders Association)
August 1, 1991... Using a theme of "The Future is Now," the National Tire Dealers & Retreaders Association will hold a panel discussion on the nation's economy at the opening session of its annual convention September 20 at McCormick Place North in Chicago,...

Connecticut tire-burning plant begins operation. (Oxford Energy Co.)
August 1, 1991... In the first week of July, the Exeter Energy Project in Sterling, CT, began plant operations and the initial sale of electricity. The $100 million Oxford Energy plant, which has been under construction since December 1989, is fueled...