Tire review, 7.2012

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J U L Y 2 0 1 2

D E D I C A T E D T O B U I L D I N G Y O U R B U S I N E S S

V O L . 1 1 2 N O . 7

Taking the Right Steps to PreserveWealth, Pass Along a HealthyCompany and Have a Bright Future

Business Succession Plan

Details of New OSHASafety Standards

Skid-Steer SegmentBouncing BackINSIDE

Working in aMobile Market

Rapid Response: 800-928-1184 ext. 40001

TIRE REVIEW (ISSN 0040-8085)(July 2012, Volume 112, Number 7. Published monthly by Babcox Media Inc., 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, OH 44333 U.S.A. Phone (330) 670-1234, FAX (330)670-0874. Periodical postage paid at Akron, OH 44333 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Tire Review, 3550 EmbassyParkway, Akron, OH 44333. A limited number of complimentary subscriptions are available to individuals who meet the qualification requirements. Call (330) 670-1234, ext. 242, to speak to a subscription services representative or FAX us at (330) 670-5335. Paid subscriptions are available for non-qualified subscribers at the fol-lowing rates: U.S.: $69 for one year. Canada: $89 for one year. Canadian rates include GST. Ohio residents add current county sales tax. Other foreign rates/via airmail:$129 for one year. Payable in advance in U.S. funds. Mail payment to Tire Review, P.O. Box 75692, Cleveland, OH 44101-4755. Visa, MasterCard or American Expressaccepted. Founded in 1901. © 2012 by Babcox Media Inc. “Tire Review” is a trademark of Babcox Media Inc., registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office. Allrights reserved. Publisher reserves the right to reject any subscription that does not conform to his standards or buying power coverage. Advertising which is belowstandard is refused. Opinions in signed articles and advertisements are not necessarily those of this magazine or its publisher. Diligent effort is made to ensure theintegrity of every statement. Unsolicited manuscripts must be accompanied by return postage.

JUL12VOL. 112 NO. 7

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FIRST LOOK

4 TireReview.comDrug-Free Workplace •Tire Siping • Hiring &Firing

VIEWPOINTS

8 First OffUnpeeling the Onion

80 The Car SideCool Vibes

NEWS

10 NewsmakersNexen Grows TowardGoal • BKT ‘Day Out’• Pirelli’s Addition

MANAGEMENT

34 SalesIntelligenceTire & Service Pricing

36 Selling SmartBuild from Within

42 MarketingMattersMobile Marketing

IQ

60 ServicePerfect Brakes?

62 ServicePower-Assisted Brakes

66 TPMSService Q&A

IN FOCUS

68 TruckNew Standards

SPOTLIGHT

72 Balancers

SOLUTIONS

74 Products/Info

Succession PlansMany tire dealers put off successionplanning and wealth-preservationstrategizing until it’s either too late, orlater than is ideal. But financial advi-sors warn that today’s economicuncertainty is only made worse bydelays in business estate planning.Find out what should be consideredwhen passing along your business, aswell as preserving your wealth.

48FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

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28

Skid-Steer TiresFrom farming and forestry to land-scaping and snow removal – andalmost everything in between – theapplications for skid-steer loaders areseemingly endless. But what shoulddealers do to meet the needs of thesecustomers? Take a look at the latestmarket trends and technology to helpboost profits in this versatile segment.

Top Shop ProfileThough the Chicago suburbs holdstiff competition in the tire and auto-motive service business, DuxlerComplete Auto Care has risen to thetop. See how the family-owned dealership has survived and thrivedthrough a mix of customer servicestandards, effective training andemployee appreciation.

JULY 2012 tirereview.com

DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE?Drug users cause billions of dol-lars in lost productivity andincrease health care costs.Drug-using employees also aremore likely to be involved in aworkplace accident and morelikely to file a workers’ compen-sation claim. This is money outof your pocket and off the bot-tom line. A comprehensive sub-stance abuse program willaddress most of the issues, andwhile they will not eliminatedrugs, they can deter drug useby your employees.tirereview.com/inBusiness

Terminating EmployeesThe decision to ter-minate an employ-ee is never easyand usually is alast-resort meas-ure. But unfortu-nately, terminationmay be inevitable.

To avoid legal problems down the road, youshould establish a set approach to employeemanagement that includes procedures for firingan employee. We offer six steps that can helpyou effectively handle terminations. tirereview.com/inBusiness

Explore Tire SipingNew tires often includesipes in their design,but some tire dealersalso offer to put theseslices in customers’tires on demand. Why?The answer is simple:

because siping can improve a tire’s traction insnow and ice, giving all-season tires the bite ofsevere snow-service tires and allowing high-per-formance tires to go from free-spinning to thelevel of all-season tires. And siping is a nice wayto add to your bottom line.tirereview.com/inService

Your Comments,Thoughts,Ideas

Happy Surprise:Outstanding TIA Class“Thank you, Craig, for your pos-itive review of the ATS courseheld in Orlando. We are veryproud of Matt White and all ofour outstanding trainers.”– Christine Marnett,TIA Director of Training

Always Install Two NewTires on the Rear Axle“No, this is not bogus. I havedriven cars both ways in SouthCarolina at Michelin’s test trackand you have a lot more controlof the vehicle with the new tireson the rear.” – Rstaley50

Michelin ‘Communicating’Tire Gets Olympic Bow“Sounds like a great idea, butthen so did PAX.”– Oehubcaps

Thieves Bust ThroughFence, Steal $250,000 inTires and Wheels“They should look for the guyshauling around all of those cin-der blocks; where are they buy-ing or stealing these from is thequestion. And how do you man-age to do all of this and notleave any prints? CSI to the res-cue.”– Westbrook

TIA Offers SignificantAmendments to RMA TireRepair Bill“I’m no politician, but thissounds like we’re all getting onthe same page? Tire repairerswho use methods other thanthose sanctioned by the tiremanufacturers and RMA shouldbe held accountable for theiractions. I hope this passes in 50states.”– Spencer

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4 T I R E R E V I E W - July/2012

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Top 10 Headlines From Last Month• N.Y. Senate Approves Tire Repair Legislation

• Dealer Employee Killed in Robbery Shooting

• 10,000 Cooper-Made Tires Under Recall

• Thieves Bust Through Fence, Steal $250,000 in Tires and Wheels

• U.S. Vehicle Population Now Averages 11 Years

• Supreme Court Upholds Health Care Act

• Confidence Shaken, Drops for First June Reading

• TIA Offers Significant Amendments to RMA Tire Repair Bill

• Got Scraps? Take ’Em to Direct Tire

• Bridgestone Sets $74 Million Farm Tire Expansion

SCAN FOR INFOTo view additional news stories, go totirereview.com/news or scan this bar codewith your smartphone or tablet.

inService

UNPEELING THE ONIONTrying to Get to the Bottom of World-Class Customer Service

Thanks to our annual search forthe “best of the best” tire deal-ers through the Top Shop

Award program, we often are askedfor tips on how to win this honor.

To which we respond: “The bestdealerships are those that are verygood at everything. More than any-thing, though, they have an obviousworld-class customer-first attitudethat permeates the entire organizationfrom top to bottom.”

And then we’re asked: “So, justwhat is ‘world-class customer serv-ice?’”

This is where thoughtful silenceensues, emphasized by prayerfulglances to the heavens as though thetrue answer can only come fromabove. In fact, we’re hoping we canthink of an excuse to excuse our-selves before trying to offer an an swerthat is not so clear-cut.

The real truth is that great customerservice is totally up to the customer.They are the ones experiencing the“customer service” afforded by yourtire dealership. It would be far easierto describe quantum mechanics thanto provide a definitive explanation of“world-class customer service.”

We’re not trying to dodge the ques-tion, but there is no black-and-white,absolute 100% sure thing, bet-the-house-on-it world-class customerservice system.

For every 100 customers, there are100 entirely different sets of expecta-tions. Some are simple, cut-and-driedtransactions: warm smile, personabletone, thorough and easy-to-under-stand responses, tire recommenda-tions that make sense, well-explainedservice- and tire-cost estimates, com-prehensive review of vehicle systems,comeback-proof repairs, clean vehicleready to go at the prescribed time,and a few other points.

Unfortunately, others are more dif-ficult, often because the customer’snative mode is “difficult.” Or ahuman error intervened, accidentallycreating a tough customer servicepickle that must be carefully andthoughtfully navigated.

Defining “world-class customerservice” becomes difficult becausewhat we think should be simple andcut-and-dried is not so. What are“easy-to-understand responses” tosome are “gobbledy-gook” to others.“Tire recommendations that makesense” to most can be heard as “tryingto rip me off” by certain customers.

Everyone is different, and that’swhy a singular, true definition of“world-class customer service” isentirely in the hands of the customer.

Or is it?Skilled practitioners can suss out

most potentially difficult customersearly in the sales process, and adjusttheir approach to match the situation.This includes letting others in theservice chain – from the tire tech tothe service desk – redouble theirefforts to win over Mr. Grumpypants.

They can smell from a parking lotaway the potential for an unfortunatecustomer experience, and adjust theirtone and manner to put things on theright path from the start.

They can plan ahead in an effort todeliver world-class customer serviceto world-class pains in the arse. Youcan avert customer service disastersby doing the unexpected nice things,like vacuuming out a customer’s car,washing the windows, keeping upwith the latest waiting area magazinesor offering free coffee or soft drinks,having an area to amuse a flusteredmom’s little ones.

These are not bank account break-ers, by any means. These are howyou build a sustainable customer

base, creating additional reasons topick your shop when it comes timefor new rubber or brake pads insteadof turning to the price-guy down thestreet.

We’d all quickly recognize bad cus-tomer service because we’ve all livedthrough it. Many, many, many unfor-tunate times. Despite years of oftenugly experiences, it’s as difficult toclearly define crappy customer serv-ice as it is to spell out great service.We know it when we step in it, butdon’t ask us to explain it!

I had occasion to step in it recentlywhile trying to help a family membersort through an insurance issue. Thiswas a big, major, national insurancecompany, not unlike the one I havemy personal insurance with. But I hadnot dealt with this outfit, and now Ihave no reason to do so in the future.

Over the course of five painful days,I made contact with seven differentpeople in the company’s ill-named“Customer Service Department.” Overthat time, it seemed no one communi-cated with any others, that there wasno one file – paper or electronic – thatheld notes from my previous contact. Ienvisioned this long hallway of tinygray offices, with those old-school vac-uum tubes clogged with memos andfile notes and letters and such, all zip-ping along to nowhere in particular.

And that’s exactly how I was treat-ed. None of my conversations withthe agents were “recorded for trainingpurposes,” so none of the conversa-tions featured an actual resolution ofany kind. Or the hope for one. Theywere happy to offer their “apologies,”but no effort to help me unpeel theonion layers separating the problemfrom complete resolution.

Not world-class customer service.And for that, they have lost a cus-tomer for life. TR

Jim Smith, [email protected]


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3550 Embassy Parkway Akron, OH 44333-8318330-670-1234 • tirereview.com

Tire dealers and tire service shops inthe state of New York can breathe a sighof relief – for now – as controversial tirerepair legislation died quietly at the closeof June 22.

That is when the state’s most recentlegislative session ended, taking with itall unfinished business including pro-posed legislation that had not made it tothe full Senate or House. That includedthe RMA-backed bills – Senate 7082 andAssembly 9683 – that would have effec-tively force any company performingrepairs on consumer tires to follow acc -epted tire industry standards.

The potential for tire repair legislation– in New York or any other state – re -mains, however.

“Our members are very serious aboutaddressing this safety issue,” said DanZielinski, senior vice president of theRMA. “However, passing legislation isnot an easy task. The legislative processis typically a marathon rather than asprint, and we were happy to see theNew York repair measure pass a Senatecommittee. Clearly we have some sup-port and hope to capitalize on this year’sprogress and push harder next year toget across the goal line.”

Zielinski said that over the next fewmonths, the RMA will be “decidingwhether to become involved in addition-al states” in terms of proposing tirerepair legislation.

“I do expect that we will be backagain in New York to advocate for tirerepair legislation,” he added. RMA got asfar as seeing S 7082 passed out of theN.Y. Senate Transportation Committeeon June 5 and sent to the full Senate.

“Despite years of effort by tire manu-facturers, tire dealer organizations andtire repair materials manufacturers toeducate repair shops about proper repair,too many improper repairs are per-formed. RMA supports these bills andurges New York legislators to enact thislegislation,” Zielinski said at the time thebills were introduced.

On June 14, TIA offered amendmentsto the RMA-backed bills, which effec-tively turned the RMA version aroundby legislating against improper repairs.Instead of dictating a proper tire repair,the TIA amendments “put the focus on

improper tire repair practices such asplugging the tire on the wheel withoutdemounting it for inspection and instal -ling a patch on the innerliner withoutfilling the injury,” TIA said at the time.

“After meeting with several of the tirecompanies on an individual basis, aswell as with officials from the RMA, itbe came obvious there would be contin-ued efforts to pass tire repair legislationat the state level,” said Roy Littlefield,TIA executive vice president.

The association said it “recognizes thehazards that improperly repaired tirescreate for motorists, so TIA decided toact in the best interest of public safety bysupporting legislation that prohibitsmethods and materials that do not con-form to industry standards. The TIAamendments would make it illegal forretailers to plug a tire while it is stillmounted on the wheel or install a patchwithout a plug. Violations also wouldoccur if injuries in the shoulder or side-wall were repaired, and it would be ille-gal to repair a tire that has already beenimproperly repaired.”

TIA’s amendments included changingthe name of the bill from the “ProperTire Repair Act” to the “Tire Repair Act”and removing specific repair steps infavor of a firm statement of what wouldconstitute an improper repair.

In addition, they would have addedprovisions making illegal repairs using“cured rubber stem or string plug” in -stalled from “outside without demount-ing the tire from the rim;” and thosewhere a “tire patch is installed on theinnerliner without a cured rubber stem.”TIA’s amendments defined the threebasic steps necessary for a proper tirerepair:

• Demount the tire from the wheelassembly.

• Inspect the tire to determine theextent of damage on the inside of the tire.

• Fill the injury with a cured rubberstem and properly install a tire patch or acombination repair unit.

While TIA did not specifically addressthe possibility, if New York passed anytype of tire repair legislation, the associa-tion expected that to become the modelfor a state-by-state approach.

N.Y. Repair Law Dead, RMA to Continue Push

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On May 31, Goodyear Tire & RubberCo. acquired 100% ownership of NipponGiant Tire (NGT) in Tatsuno, Japan, anOTR tire joint venture the company hadoperated with Toyo Tire & Rubber Co.and Mitsubishi Corp. since 1985.

Prior to the deal, Goodyear held a65% share in NGT, while Toyo andMitsubishi owned 30% and 5% shares,respectively. With the purchase, Good -year said it plans to invest $250 millionto upgrade and expand OTR capacity atthe NGT plant in Japan.

The investment will enable NGT tomanufacture a full line of 57-inch tires,as well as 63-inch tires at a future date,said Dan Smytka, president of Goodyear’sAsia Pacific region. Goodyear began pro-duction of 63-inch OTR tires at its plantin Topeka, Kan., in late 2010. The com-pany also produces OTR tires at facilitiesin Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Luxem-bourg, India, Indonesia, Thailand, SouthAfrica and Turkey.

Toyo stated the sale was “mutual,”and was made to “further the goals ofToyo’s Mid-Term Business Plan 2011...to further concentrate its businessresources towards growth and strategicmarkets.”

Retreaders and retread system suppli-ers have long wanted to be part of theEPA SmartWay program. Now theyhave their chance.

On June 11, the U.S. EPA issued aninterim protocol by which retread tech-nologies can be “verified low rollingresistance retread products.”

A letter and instructions from KarlSimon, director of transportation andclimate division of U.S. EPA, outlinedhow the new program for the “estab-lishment of a verification program fortire retread technologies for use on line-haul Class 8 trucks” will work.

Since 2007, the EPA’s SmartWay pro-gram has verified new radial mediumtruck tires for low rolling resistance.Dozens of manufacturer brand tire

models have met the fuel efficiency cri-teria, giving them a leg up in the con-tinuing battle for fleet maintenancemanager attention.

While the EPA only took up thedetails of a testing protocol and verifi-cation system within the last 18 mon -ths, retreaders and their suppliers havelong wanted their products included insome fashion.

The interim test protocol applies toboth precure and mold cure retreads,and uses a “new unused” YokohamaSuper Steel RY-617 in size 295/75R22.5as the baseline casing for all testing.Those seeking verification for superwide retreads can use “an alternate cas-ing made from a current EPA verifiedsuper-wide new tire.”

Each retread product must be testedthree times on identical casings, andseparately for trailer and drive patterns.The rolling resistance coefficient targetvalues set by the EPA are 7.2 for a driveaxle test casing and 6.0 for a trailer axletest casing; 6.5 for a drive axle alternatecasing, and 5.4 for a trailer axle alter-nate casing.

EPA has set an interim test protocoland target values, which have been sentto all retread system suppliers. Thosemanufacturers interested in applyingfor verification can contact the EPA [email protected].

Bridgestone Americas re-upped as asponsor of the National Football Leag -ue, but it will no longer underwrite theSuper Bowl Halftime Show as it hasover the last five years.

In mid-June, the tiremaker and NFLsigned a four-year sponsorship exten-sion to continue as the “Official Tire ofthe National Football League” – thro -ugh March 2016 – during a break inthe action at the Tennessee Titans train-ing facility in Nashville.

In dropping in annual commitment tothe Super Bowl Halftime Show – an esti-mated $5 million sponsorship – Bridge -stone instead plans to expand advertis-ing during NFL games and relatedevents, such as the pre-draft NFL Com -bine, and “engage more closely withconsumers” through heavy emphasis ondigital and broadcast media.

Over Bridgestone’s sponsorship peri-od, Super Bowl Halftime Show per-formers – some well received, otherswith a bit of controversy – have includ-ed Bruce Springsteen, The Who, BlackEyed Peas, and Madonna.

Nexen Tire America Inc. has laun -ched a new online dealer portal – nex-entireonline.com/login.aspx – to assistits customers. Nexen said its portal wasdesigned to be intuitive and user-friend ly, and “provide our dealers witha focus on what we can offer them aswell as the results we obtained.”

“The Dealer Portal is an effort to takeNexen Tire America to the next level inmeeting the needs of our valued part-ners,” the company continued. “Thenew dealer portal will be a great naviga-ble informative source for our clients.

The tiremaker said its portal featuresaccess to Nexen’s updated tire inventory,a means to process and submit sales quo-tations for wholesale and factory-directsales, the ability for users to export dataon purchasing history and review currentorder status, post and receive notifica-tions from Nexen, and more.

Mary Aichlmayr, one-time managingeditor of TIRE REVIEW magazine, passedaway unexpectedly on June 3.

She joined the magazine in Decem -

N E W S M A K E R S


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Retreads Eligible forSmartWay Verification

Goodyear Buys Toyo,Mitsubishi JV Shares

Continued on Pg. 15

Bridgestone Re-UpsWith NFL, Drops Show

Former TR ManagingEditor Aichlmayr Dies

Nexen LaunchesOnline Dealer Portal


Business Barometer By Marketplace Insights, 920-487-8020

Sponsored By:

Total Tire Units

Retail Sales – May ’12 vs. May ’11 (Final)

101.6

Total Service $s

Broadline

HP/UHP

LT/SUV

Undercar

Underhood

101.8

101.1

101.4

101.6

95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102

101.6

101.6

Retail Sales – June ’12 vs. June ’11 (Prelim.)

Retail Sales – June ’12 vs. May ’12

Total Tire Units99.7

Total Service $s

Broadline

HP/UHP

LT/SUV

Undercar

Underhood

99.9

100.2

99.8

100.6

94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101

100.7

100.6

Total Tire Units100.4

Total Service $s

Broadline

HP/UHP

LT/SUV

Undercar

Underhood

100.4

100.4

100.2

101.0

95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102

101.1

101.0

Retail Sales – Year to Date

Apr.

Nov.

Dec.

Jan.

104

103

102

101

100

99

Service $ Tire Units

Aug.

Sept

.Oc

t.

105

98

Mar

.

Feb.

106

May

July

June

97


ber 2003 after serving as an editor withOctober Research Group. During hernearly four-year career with BabcoxMedia, she also served as managingeditor of Fleet Equipment magazine,and was instrumental in both publica-tions’ digital efforts.

Aichlmayr left Babcox Media in Aug -ust 2007 to become editor of PentonMedia’s MATERIAL HANDLING MANAGE -MENT magazine in Cleveland, and thenbecame marketing manager at Compre -hensive Logistics Inc. in eastern Ohio.

She graduated from Cleveland’sBaldwin-Wallace College in 1997 witha degree in English, serving as a chiefeditor of the college’s literary magazine,and helping research and publish abook on literary theory.

“Mary was an extremely talented,focused individual and a tremendouscontributor to our company,” said BillBabcox, president and CEO of BabcoxMedia. “Most of all, she will be remem-bered for her warm, engaging personal-ity and the connection she made withso many people. Mary will be deeplymissed.”

Bridgestone Americas will spendanother $74 million on additional out-put at its Des Moines farm tire plant.That new investment comes on top of$77 million previously committed tocapacity expansion that was announcedmore than two years ago.

The company said the expansionprojects are slated to be completedsometime in 2013.

Omni United has hired Ernst &Young to assess the greenhouse gasimpact of its products and to advise thetiremaker on implementing initiatives toreduce and/or offset its carbon footprint.

“We have chosen Ernst & Young toconduct this study as it is one of theleading global consulting firms special-izing in climate change and sustainabili-ty services,” said G.S. Sareen, CEO of

Omni United. “This study is significantfor Omni United as it sets our companyon track towards a sustainable future asan environmentally and socially respon-sible global tire company.”

According to the tiremaker, the initialeffort aims to quantify greenhouse gasemissions generated by Omni’s keybusiness activities, identifying the areas

where emissions can be reduced and theoptions available to offset its carbonfoot print. A report from the three-month initial study is due later this year.

“Our aim is to become the first tirecompany to have all of our productsrecycled at the end of their lifespan,”Sareen said, and become a “carbon-neu-tral” company. TR

N E W S M A K E R S

July/2012 - t i r e r e v i e w . c o m 15

Bridgestone Sets $74Million for Ag Tires

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Tiremaker Looks toCut Carbon Footprint

N E W S M A K E R S


South Korea’s oldest tire manufac-turer isn’t what you mightassume. Originally established in

1942 as Heung-A Tire, the companynow known as Nexen Tire Corp. iscelebrating 70 years in business thisyear, and has ambitious growth plansfor its future.

Nexen (which means “next century”in Korean) now has the capacity toproduce some 30 million passengerand light truck/SUV tires from itsestablished plants in Yangsan, SouthKorea, and Qingdao, China, and itsrecently opened facility in Chang -nyeong, South Korea.

That new plant, which a group ofinternational tire journalists had theopportunity to visit in May, is thelynchpin in Nexen’s goal of reaching$2.5 billion in tire sales and becominga top 10 global tiremaker by 2020.

To reach that mark, Nexen execu-tive vice president of sales Byung-Woo Lee said the tiremaker plans toreach 60 million annual units by2018 and 80 million tires by 2020.That, he acknowledged, will meanadding another tire plant.

The new Changnyeong plant, Nex -en said, currently employs 500 peopleand should be producing at an annu-alized rate of three million tires by theclose of this year. Over the next sixyears, a series of planned expansionswill boost capacity to 60,000 units aday, or 21 million a year, with about2,000 employees.

Located about three hours southeastof Nexen’s headquarters in Seoul,ground was broken for the Chang -nyeong plant in June 2010, and thefirst tires came off the production linethis past April. It might take a little

while to drive there, but the new plantis located near convenient highwaysystems and the key port of Busan.

Included within the highly automat-ed Changnyeong tire factory’s 4.65million square feet of floor space aresome of the latest, most technological-ly advanced tire production equip-ment from suppliers like Mitsubishi,Harburg Freudenberger, Kobelco,Nadada Engineering and VMI.

New technology also is employedto improve the work environment,including advanced lighting via theuse of solar panels and natural light,and ventilation systems that removerubber odors and heat from the facto-ry. General exercise areas, health facil-ities and common areas for workersto relax in between shifts all seem tohave a positive impact on this factoryand its employees.

Nexen said it chose Changnyeongdue to its lower labor costs and

because the company believes it canbetter guarantee quality product at ahome-grown factory. In addition, theSouth Korean government providesincentives to South Korean compa-nies that maintain domestic facilities.

In addition to its production plants,Nexen maintains four research anddevelopment facilities throughout theworld: its Core Technology Center inYangsan, South Korea; technical cen-

ters in Richfield, Ohio, for NorthAmerica OE and core propertyresearch, and in Eschborn, Germany,for European OE; and a testing andtechnical center in Qingdao forChinese domestic replacement andOE tires.

Currently, Nexen provides OE sup-port to Hyundai, Kia, Ssang Yong,Chevrolet, Deijing Hyundai andSAIC. In addition, the tiremakerrecently announced a fitment withFiat in 2013. Its business withHyundai includes supplying the car-maker’s production efforts in the U.S.

Global AmbitionsPlans for future expansions of the

Changnyeong factory already are inplace to assist in accomplishing a cor-

AMBITIOUS GOALSFast-Growing Nexen Tire Sets Sights High With New Plant

The new plant is the lynchpin in Nexen’s goal ofreaching $2.5 billion in tire sales and becoming atop 10 global tiremaker by 2020.

Nexen’s new plant in Changnyeong, South Korea, will produce at an annualized rate of three milliontires by the close of this year. Expansions over the next six years will see the facility’s annual capacity reach 21 million units.

N E W S M A K E R S


porate goal of becoming one of thetop 10 tire manufacturers in theworld by 2020.

Byung-Woo Lee, Nexen executivevice president of sales, said he firmlybelieves Nexen will succeed inreaching this goal, adding that thecompany’s South Korean workforceand state-of-the-art automation sys-tems offer the competitive abilityNexen needs to deliver “world-classhigh performance, light truck/SUVand eco-friendly tires.”

“We have poured our hearts andsouls into making sure that theChangnyeong industrial complex is aworld-class facility,” Lee said.

Globally, Nexen sells tires in 123countries worldwide. In 2011, its $1.3billion in global sales were dividedregionally as follows: America 30%,Europe 30%, the Middle East andAfrica 13%, Asia and Oceania 12%,and South Korea 15%.

Supporting its international distri-bution, Nexen recently exhibited atthe bi-annual Reifen 2012 in Essen,Germany, and will have booths atboth the upcoming Moscow Inter -national Automobile Salon in Augustand the SEMA Show/Global Tire Expoin Las Vegas this November.

And its sports marketing effortsinclude sponsorship support of soccerteam Eintrach Frankfurt in Germany’sBund esliga, and as a corporate spon-

sor of the recent the 2012 Chinese FASuper Cup.

Joo-Ho Song, senior managingdirector of global marketing, definedNexen as “a tire company that pres-ents itself as an upper level, secondtier brand competing with associatedbrands from major tire manufactur-ers, well-known imports and privatebrands.”

In the U.S. and Canada, the compa-ny believes consumers compareNexen favorably to other South

Korean tire manufacturers, as well asbrands like Cooper and Falken.

In North America – where annualsales are in the $350 million to $400million range – Nexen aims toexpand its business presence throughdeveloping market-driven productssuitable for the region. It was onlyearlier this year that the companyestablished Nexen Tire Inc. in Can -ada, headquartered in Markham, Ont.

Song is interested in improvingNexen’s brand awareness and valueproposition for dealers in NorthAmerica by moving into motorsportsand working itself up through theranks, gaining recognition on OEpositions worldwide, and competingsuccessfully in consumer magazinetire testing.

Currently in the U.S. and Canada,Nexen’s motorsports program focusesmainly on drifting. The tiremaker’s

best-selling tires in the U.S. andCanada are the N5000, CP672 andthe Roadian HT.

Over the last five years, Nexen hasplaced added emphasis on growth inthe U.S. and Canada, and has foundthat signing quality customers hasgiven them room to grow with afinancially sound and strong dealernetwork.

When asked if Nexen has interest inbuilding a factory in the Americas,company spokespeople could only

offer that the tiremaker would consid-er building a plant outside of Asiabased upon market conditions.

According to Song, for 2012 Nexen’sR&D team is developing its first run-flat tire, slated to be a replace ment tireoption at the start of next year. Thetiremaker also plans to export this run-flat tire to Europe. In addition, Nexenis planning further tire introductionsin 2012 that will cover five new pas-senger patterns and six new lighttruck/SUV radials.

Considering how the tiremaker hasarranged its mid- and long-term goalsbased on the new Changnyeong fac-tory, one can clearly see why Nexenhas become a world-class tire manu-facturer with ambitious goals. TR

David Moniz, [email protected]

The new Changnyeong factory (left) encompasses 4.65 million square feet of floor space. At right, Byung-Woo Lee, Nexen executive vice president of sales,toasts the company’s success at May’s media event.

N E W S M A K E R S


It would seem counterintuitive thatan Indian tiremaker would enter-tain a large group of North Ameri -

can tire dealers for a week in northernItaly.

Oh, and call it a “day out.”In reality, though, it all made per-

fect sense for tiremaker BKT’s semi-annual “BKT Day Out” event. Espec -ially for the 105 people (representing32 tire distributors and media) fromthe U.S., Canada and Mexico whowere hosted on a memorable five-dayexcursion to Italy.

(There also was a group of 15 rep-resenting dealers in Turkey, Greece,New Zealand and Australia, as well ascontingents from BKT Tires USA,BKT Europe and the parent companyin Mumbai, India.)

Lead hosts for the North Americangroup were Rami Bitran and BillHaney of BKT Tires USA, as well asBKT Europe managing director LuciaSalmaso. In attendance were such dis-tributors as D&K Tire, Hercules Tire& Rubber Co., K&M Tire, Kal Tire,Lucy’s Tire, Millersburg Tire Service,Neumaticos Muevetierra, OK Tire,Pete’s Tire, Pneus Unimax, TBCCorp., Tirecraft, Tyres International,Universal Tire and others.

From BKT’s headquarters were vicechairman and managing director Ar -vind Poddar, executive directors (andcousins) Anurag Poddar and RajivPoddar, and D.M. Vaidya, director oftechnology.

The “Day Out” was far from just aday, with a multitude of activitiesplanned to entertain and engage theguests. Over the five days, guestsenjoyed a boat excursion across LakeComo, past multi-million dollar villas

owned by stars like George Clooneyand Madonna, businessman RichardBranson, soccer icon Ronaldinho andothers; sightseeing trips to Lecco andBergamo; visits to Tremezzo and Bell -agio; a tour across Milan; dinners invillas and top restaurants, and more.

“At BKT, we believe in ‘Getting To -gether,’ which is a process that helps

us in ‘Growing Together,’” said ArvindPoddar in his welcome letter toguests. “Towards this goal, BKT’s DayOut is an initiative of BKT that facili-tates our channel partners to comecloser and bond together.”

Building a strong relationship withdistributors and front line commercialdealers is one of the reasons BKT hasexperienced tremendous growth –globally and within North America –over the past five years. And, accord-ing to Poddar, those relationships will

be vital as the company presses aheadto its goal of 10% global marketsharein the OTR and agricultural tire cate-gory.

Much of BKT’s recent success istied to the effects of the global econo-my, with end-users of all sizes discov-ering they can find high quality farmand OTR tires without having to pay

premium prices charged by betterknown brands, and – perhaps moreimportantly – a ready of supply oftires in two segments experiencingmassive global growth. “We have donea good job leveraging those opportu-nities,” he said with a sense of pride.

Reaching that 10% global market-share level, Poddar realizes, requirestires. “For the year 2012 we have ini-tiated an aggressive growth plan,”Poddar said earlier this year. “Produ -ction is targeted to increase by 32%.This would be achieved by upgradedcapacities in the existing three plantsas well as partial contribution fromour new Bhuj plant. We are targetingthat in the second half of this year,the Bhuj plant would contribute

QUITE A DAYBKT Get Together Helps Dealers, Tiremaker Grow Together

Building a strong relationship with distributorsand commercial dealers is one of the reasons BKThas experienced tremendous growth.

BKT’s guest dealers got a first-hand look at the wide range of tire testing performed at the Agri cultural Research Council facility in Treviglio, Italy.

Continued on Pg. 22

N E W S M A K E R S


around 20% of the total productionfor 2012.”

Commercial production at the Bhujplant will start later this year, at least aquarter earlier than anticipated. Oncefully operational, the Bhuj plant willeffectively double BKT’s total capacity.By the close of 2012, the four plantscombined will have a capacity ofaround 170,000 metric tons, increas-ing to 225,000 next year and reaching280,000 metric tons in 2014.

The older three tire plants are locat-ed in Aurangabad (opened in 1988),Bhiwadi (2002) and Chopanski(2006). In addition, BKT operates itsown mold plant (2006) near Mumbai,which Poddar said gives the companyfaster turnaround times and allows itto quickly add sizes and products.

And BKT has added a lot of prod-ucts and sizes. All told, BKT todayboasts some 1,800 SKUs, coveringfarm, OTR, industrial, lawn/gardenand ATV tires. Globally, BKT’s mix is66% farm, 15% OTR/construction,15% OTR/mining, and 4% lawn/gar-den and ATV.

In five years’ time, Poddar wants torebalance that to 53% farm, 20%OTR/construction, 22% OTR/mining,and 5% lawn/garden and ATV.

BKT plans to continue making up -grades to its facilities, processes andcapacity, and will continue earmark-ing at least $50 million each year oncapital projects. At the end of 2014,the added capacity should help it

keep its goal of gaining 50% of its tiresales in Europe, 25% in the Americas,10% in India, and 15% from the restof the world.

Right now, BKT’s bias/radial mix is70/30, which it wants to push to50/50 by the close of 2014.

The company’s fantastic growthover the past few years – BKT’s objec-tive is 35% year-over-year growth –“offers us renewed enthusiasm toinvest more and more into our R&Dinitiatives, product development andbrand building,” Poddar said.

BKT’s global tire sales goal is togrow from $611 million posted in2011 to $1.36 billion in 2014 – dou-bling its tire-based revenue in fourshort years. Its North American oper-ation has a goal of $220 million insales in 2014 (up from the $96 mil-lion posted for 2011) – a quarter ofthe company’s worldwide ambition.

True Tire TestingPoddar is very confident about

where BKT is going, and is not sur-prised by the success its tire operationshave seen over the last five years. He isnot at all cocky, rather he is demon-strably grateful for the company’s goodfortune and is driven to reach newheights and leave a strong base for thenext generation to carry forward.

BKT – rather, Balkrishna Tyres – hasalways been a family business. Found -ed in 1951 by Poddar’s late fath er Ma -habirprasad Poddar and uncle Dhara -

prasad Poddar (who remains chair-man of the parent company), thenow-named Siyaram-Poddar Grouphad total sales of $800 million lastyear, and is involved in textiles, gar-ments, packaging board, chemicals,real estate and tires.

While the Poddar family owns 55%of the stock in Siyaram-Poddar, Ar -vind Poddar likes and wants to main-tain a family feel and atmospherewithin BKT and between the tiremak-er and its customers. He says he isvery proud of the BKT team in Indiaand those in other world markets.And employees feel a sense of owner-ship in the company, he said, whichhelps build stronger customer rela-tionships.

In the company’s latest corporatebook, Poddar said, “To be precise, wehave put our hearts in the businessand the business in our hearts.”

“This is a family company with thehighest family values,” BKT TiresUSA general manager Rami Bitrantold TIRE REVIEW last year. “And thatshows in how we treat customers.”

Tire dealers are looking for suppli-ers with integrity, product quality anda high level of service. “That’s whyhaving strong family values is soimportant to us,” he said.

“Our motto as a company is we dowhat we say. If we cannot live up toour word, then we are better off doingnothing at all. We cannot promise

Celebrating BKT’s success were (from left) Rami Bitran of BKT Tires USA, Lucia Salmaso of BKT Europe, and corporate executive directors Rajiv Poddar andAnurag Poddar. BKT ag tires got a full workout at the testing demonstration at the Agri cultural Research Council facility in Treviglio, Italy.

Continued on Pg. 24

N E W S M A K E R S


and then not deliver,” Bitran said.BKT’s biggest hurdle right now,

Pod dar said, “is to keep going for-ward, maintain our momentum inquality and service, keep our levelshigh and our expectations high, andtrain our people to meet those.”

“Our people” includes the custo -mers, and one of the business reasonsbehind the trip to Italy was to seehow BKT’s tires are tested at theworld-class Agricultural ResearchCouncil’s tire test facility in Treviglio.The CRA-ING facilities include ampleoutdoor testing – on- and off-road –including traction, handling anddraw bar tests; a complete laboratory;multi-million dollar “shaker” testequipment; and a relatively simple

test to gauge the footprint and flota-tion ability of tractor tires.

Separate from this event, BKT con-tracts with the wholly independentCRA-ING to do comparative assess-ments of its ag products vs. key com-petitor tires, primarily on tractorunits popular in Europe.

Tire speed and handling testing isdone on a paved oval track, whiletraction and drawbar tests are con-ducted using tractors on unpaved,vegetation-covered fields. In the draw -bar test, a live tractor pulls a “rollingdynamometer,” an older tractor retro-fitted with test gear. This tests theeffectiveness of tread designs and in -flation level to optimize real-worldfield performance.

The handling testhas tractors slalomingthrough a series ofcones at a speed ofaround 43 kph. Farmtires in Europe tend tosee a lot of pavement,so this type of high-speed test is important.

Footprint testscheck a tire’s soil com-paction factor. Deve -loped by CRA-ING,this test uses a light-weight, dense styro-foam-like material.The tire – mounted on

a tractor – is lowered down onto alarge block of the material, allowingthe loaded tire footprint to create anegative impression into the material.This allows scientists to see how aloaded tire would interact with soil,and how different inflation pressuresimpact a tire’s footprint.

The shaker test is not unlike thosedone by automakers on passengervehicles. The test gauges how the trac-tor suspension – including the tire –adds or detracts from operator com-fort and in-field vehicle performance.A full-size tractor (in this case a JohnDeere 8320 on four BKT AgrimaxFortis tires) is parked on four padsattached to the shaker, which, throughsome serious engineering, is actually100% free floating – attached to noth-ing – so test results aren’t affected byoutside forces.

“We needed to bring customers tothe test center,” said Poddar of thelong-distance trip to CRA-ING. “Wewant them to know and see the test-ing our tires undergo, and what weare doing.”

For the OTR and farm tire special-ist, the “Day Out” was a long one, butit proved its point by bringing familytogether, sharing success and lookingforward to a bright future. TR

Vice chairman and managing director Arvind Poddar said the company’s greatest hurdle isto “maintain our momentum in quality and service...and train our people to meet those.”On right, testing includes instrumented draw-bar tests measuring traction.

Jim Smith, [email protected]

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Pirelli SpA’s formal opening cere-mony for its new $300 millionpassenger and light truck/SUV

tire plant in Silao, Mexico, can bedescribed using the same words as theimpact the tiremaker hopes the facilitywill have on its operations in theNAFTA region.

Big. Influential. Premium.Just how massive? The new

Silao plant, Pirelli’s first inMexico and 22nd globally, ispart of a planned $400 mil-lion investment in tire pro-duction in that country. Theplant will produce higher-endperformance and light truck/ -SUV tires for the U.S., Canadaand Mexico at a rate of400,000 annually by the endof this year. Targeted capacityexpansions will see the facilityproduce 3.5 million tires peryear in 2015, after the firstphase of development, and5.5 million units annuallywhen fully operational in2017.

Demonstrating the influ-ence Pirelli has in the Silaoregion and Mexican economyin general, Mexico PresidentFelipe Calderón Hinojosa was on-hand for the May 31 opening cere-mony. Calderón arrived at the eventvia helicopter, touching down adja-cent to the factory, where he metPirelli executives and unveiled a cere-monial plaque alongside PirelliChairman and CEO Marco TronchettiProvera.

The factory fits with Pirelli’s premi-um strategy, according to TronchettiProvera, who said that while the tire-maker holds a premium reputationwhen it comes to R&D and productperformance, Pirelli must improve itsservice in order to meet growth goals.By providing a shortened supplychain and increased capacity, the Silaoplant will do just that for North

American customers, he noted.“Until now, we’ve served the NAF -

TA market mostly from Brazil, as wellas partly from Europe and China,”Tronchetti Provera said. “This plant isa way to serve customers directly,allowing for better service because wecan send tires anywhere in the U.S.within four days; from Brazil, it takes

45 days. This plant will allow us toservice customers that today we can-not supply.”

The plant’s initial phase – the cur-rent 135,000-square-meter building –is part of a $300 million initial invest-ment. Pirelli said another $100 mil-lion will be spent by 2017. The facili-ty will employ some 1,000 through2013, with additional hiring bringingemployment to 1,800 in 2017.

Pirelli said the new plant “will aug-ment the factory the group alreadyhas in Rome, Ga., specialized in pro-duction using MIRS technology.”

With the new plant, Pirelli’s NorthAmerican production in 2015 will be3.9 million tires, rising to 5.9 millionpieces in 2017. The new plant also

will increase Pirelli’s local NAFTAproduction, from 6% in 2011 to 11%this year, and finally to 53% in 2015,according to the tiremaker.

Also on hand for the ceremony wasPaolo Ferrari, recently appointed chair -man and CEO of Pirelli Tire NorthAm erica (PTNA), who outlined thetiremaker’s near-term market share

goals. “Our premium marketshare right now is around6% in the U.S. (15% inCanada),” he said, addingthat as part of Pirelli’s three-year plan, “we plan to growin terms of premium volumeat least twice as fast as themarket. So that could lead toa gain of at least two to threepoints of market share.”

Ferrari said this will beattainable through the tire-maker’s improved serviceand supply plans, in addi-tion to the upcominglaunches of “significant newproducts” and an aggressivemarketing plan. “It’s ambi-tious, but when you have aplant investment like this,you need to think big,” headded.

Tom Gravalos, PTNA vice presidentof marketing, motorsports and origi-nal equipment, added, “We would liketo set a new standard in the wayPirelli launches products. We’veinvested hundreds of millions of dol-lars in the Silao plant; it would befoolish of us not to spend the last fewmillion to close the loop and get themost out of this investment.”

While Pirelli officials were tight-lipped on the details of any new prod-ucts, they did offer a time frame: anannouncement will coincide with thereturn of Formula One to the U.S., atNovember’s F1 race in Austin, Texas. TR

PREMIUM ADDITION$300 Million Mexico Plant is Cornerstone of Pirelli’s N.A. Growth Targets

Mexico President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa (left) and Pirelli Chairman and CEOMarco Tronchetti Provera unveil the plaque outside Pirelli’s new $300 millionplant in Silao, Mexico.

Denise Koeth, Managing [email protected]

TRIED AND TRUELoyalty, Familiarity Add Up For Chicagoland Dealer

With only four locations inthe suburban Chicagoarea, Duxler Complete

Auto Care might at first appear to bea small fish competing in a very,very large pond.

But the family-owned dealershiphas built a band of loyal customersas solid as the work it guarantees.

Although the company was estab-lished in 1920 by the Duxler family,the Moak family has been runningthe operation since 1983.

“My Dad (Glenn Moak) boughtthe company in 1983, so next year isour 30th anniversary,” explains BrianMoak. “Basically when he bought it,it was one store and we’ve nowbroadened to four. He ran andowned the company by himself from1983 through 2009, and in 2009 Ibought the company from him.”

Prior to the 1983 purchase, GlennMoak worked as an employee forDuxler for a number of years. To thisday, the Moak family credits theDuxlers for a large part of their suc-cess and even kept the originalDuxler name to honor the familyand the customers who have trustedthe brand for decades.

“It was something we decided todo for two reasons,” says Brian.“First, the Duxler name was so pro -minent in our area that we thoughtwe might be losing something if wechanged it. The larger reason is thatmy father felt so loyal to WoodyDuxler for taking him under hiswing, for teaching him and for givinghim a shot, that for him it was kindof a tribute to that man and that fam-ily.”

Loyalty is a theme you see through-out the company, from the ownershipto the employees to the customers,and Brian says the strong relation-ships stem from treating everyone as

if they’re friends and family. “We are like the ‘Cheers’ of the tire

business,” says Brian. “When youwalk in, we know your name, yoursignificant other’s name, your kidsand your dog. It’s not just about fix-ing your car, we are a relationshipcompany.”

When it comes to helping cus-tomers, Brian says they avoid “salespitches” and try to stick to the talk-

ing points that busy customers wantto hear, such as how they can savemoney and how they can prevent aproblem.

“I played in the tires since I wastwo years old, so I grew up on thesame side of the counter,” says Brian.“I’ve never experienced being a (tire)customer, but I have experiencedbeing a customer when the plumberor the electrician comes to my houseand I know how it feels to havesomeone talk at you. That is the

biggest pet peeve I have. We have aback and fourth conversation withour customers. We take them intothe shop and show them what we’redoing and why we’re doing it.”

Brian adds that they explain tocustomers what their cars could usenow, as well as what they shouldexpect over the next 3,000 miles or6,000 miles to prevent expensiverepairs.

“They want to know if they’redriving their kids to school or driv-ing to work everyday that the carthat they’re in has been maintained.It’s a lot less expensive to maintain acar than it is to repair one.”

Employee LoyaltyNot only are customers getting an

accurate report, they’re hearing thefacts from technicians who havebeen in the business for years andhave earned their confidence.

Shana O’MalleyContributing Writer

In order to get new employees up to speed quickly, Duxler has a specific training methodthat has worked for decades.

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“I think what makes us differentand separates us from the rest of thepack is that we have salary-basedemployees and we have employeeswho, once they’re here, don’t leave,”says Brian. “That’s our biggest assetand the thing that we care most aboutis the people who work for this com-pany. In a way, this has become anextended family.”

Duxler Complete Auto Care has 49full-time and four part-time employ-ees, many of whom have been therefor decades.

“Our oldest employee is coming upon 28 years with us, and the secondoldest is coming up on 25 years,” saysBrian. “People who come here stayhere, and that’s the backbone of thecompany.”

To ensure their technicians are

working with maximum efficiency,Duxler provides intensive and exten-sive training and the latest serviceequipment.

“We believe in making sure our peo-ple are as well-equipped as possible,”says Brian. “That means training andthat means equipment, which meansaccessibility. Whatever they need, wereally try to accommodate, whether it’spersonal or business.”

In order to get new employees up tospeed quickly, Duxler has a specifictraining method that has worked fordecades.

“We start someone off with thebasics and let them work side-by-sidewith experienced techs and, as theygrow, we closely monitor their growthand we start giving them jobs thatmight be slightly over their capabilitylevel,” explains Brian. “Then, we tagon somebody who has the capabilityto do the job and they teach them. Wecall it the ‘Duxler way’ and it worksreally well.”

On a busy day, the four Duxler loca-tions turn over approximately 200 carson average, leaving no room for error.

“We do everything from tire repairand replacement to oil changes andeven replacing engines,” says Brian.“A lot of our focus is mechanical serv-ice. We do about 35% tire sales and65% service, and we’re high volumestores.”

Modern MethodsCompeting with the big box stores

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Top Shop Specs

Duxler CompleteAuto Care

Tire Brands: General, Continental, Toyo

Tire Changers: Coats

Tire/Wheel Balancers: Hunter

Lifts: Rotary, Challenger, ALNM, Ammco

Alignment Racks: John Bean

Break Lathes: All Tool

Compressors: Pneumatech

Back Office Software: Custom database,Quickbooks

and price sellerscan be difficult,but Brian saysthey’ve alwaysfocused on provid-ing quality workand exceptionalcustomer service.

“Our industry isnot the ‘good oledays’ in the senseof when ‘word ofmouth’ did every-thing for you,” saysBrian. “In thiseconomy, peoplewant a deal.They’re looking atprice and, a lot oftimes, stretching

their budget. Some times price is more important than quali-ty, and that has been a terrible hurdle for us because we havenever been a price-driven place. We’ve always been fair,we’ve always offered exceptional value and we’ve alwaysgiven customers the best quality product they can get at afair market price.”

To stay relevant among the competition, Brian says theyuse a mix of advertising, marketing, public relations andcommunity involvement.

“We own four stores and we’re part of four local commu-nities, but we’re part of eight local chambers of commerce,we’re a part of Rotary Club and we’re a part of several othernetworking groups.”

Charitable work has always been a major foundation ofDuxler, and each year the company involves itself in anarray of charitable and community organizations.

“We have a handful charities that we make significantcontributions to each year and we try to get as involved ineverything as we can,” says Brian. “We sponsor baseballteams and football teams, and we recently sponsored ahuge running race called The (Ricky Byrdsong) RaceAgainst Hate, in which major corporate sponsors partici-pate every year. We support a lot of women’s organizationsand we sponsor conferences that promote women businessowners.”

While each day provides a different set of problems to fixand customers to manage, Brian says they take the workseriously while trying to make the most of the day.

“People trust us with one of their most important assetsand we take that very seriously,” he says. “But, we start offthe day laughing, we deal with our stresses, we deal withour problem cars and tough customers, and we try andmake light of everything that we can.” TR



Duxler Complete Auto Care owner Brian Moak

T O P S H O P


Legend * = Tier 1 Brand ** = Tier 2 Brand *** = Private Brand/Other

Cedar Rapids, IA MarketPeriod 6/1-11 Mass Mass Tire Tire Car Avg. Merch. Merch. Dealer Dealer Dealer All A B A B

Vehicle 1Oil Change/Filter $22.99 $35.09 $31.95 $29.17 $27.60 $29.36Replace All: 215/60R16 $279.96*** $320.00** $468.00** $408.64** $540.00** $403.32 Vehicle 2 4 Wheel Alignment $79.99 $79.99 $90.00 $80.00 $89.95 $83.99Replace All: 225/60R16 $395.96** $279.92** $500.00* $455.64** $440.00* $414.30 Vehicle 3 Front Brakes, Turn Rotors $160.24 $197.93 $180.00 $138.00 $155.13 $166.26Replace All: 265/70R17 $596.00** $715.96** $856.00* $715.04** $716.00* $719.80

Grand Rapids, MI MarketPeriod 6/1-11 Mass Mass Tire Tire Car Avg. Merch. Merch. Dealer Dealer Dealer All A B A B

Vehicle 1Oil Change/Filter $33.20 $34.97 $33.00 $21.68 $9.95 $26.56Replace All: 215/60R16 $287.92** $288.00*** $420.00** $480.00** $716.00* $438.38 Vehicle 2 4 Wheel Alignment $79.99 $74.90 $70.00 $69.95 $99.95 $78.96Replace All: 225/60R16 $608.00* $512.44* $411.28** $460.00** $428.00* $483.94 Vehicle 3 Front Brakes, Turn Rotors $160.00 $219.00 $200.00 $180.75 $180.00 $187.95Replace All: 265/70R17 $688.00* $796.00* $675.36** $640.00** $708.00* $701.47

San Francisco, CA MarketPeriod 6/1-11 Mass Mass Tire Tire Car Avg. Merch. Merch. Dealer Dealer Dealer All A B A B

Vehicle 1Oil Change/Filter $39.99 $24.99 $29.99 $20.00 $39.88 $30.97Replace All: 215/60R16 $496.00** $520.00* $299.96** $480.00** $652.00* $489.59 Vehicle 2 4 Wheel Alignment $109.99 $99.95 $87.99 $70.00 $149.95 $103.58Replace All: 225/60R16 $439.96** $500.00* $395.96** $494.48** $434.56* $452.99 Vehicle 3 Front Brakes, Turn Rotors $300.00 $199.95 $220.00 $200.00 $179.95 $219.98Replace All: 265/70R17 $636.00*** $796.00* $596.00* $767.88* $663.80* $691.94

Denver, CO MarketPeriod 6/1-11 Mass Mass Tire Tire Car Avg. Merch. Merch. Dealer Dealer Dealer All A B A B

Vehicle 1Oil Change/Filter $25.00 $33.26 $34.75 $32.95 $34.95 $32.18Replace All: 215/60R16 $287.96*** $287.92** $349.52*** $379.64** $652.00* $391.41 Vehicle 2 4 Wheel Alignment $69.99 $79.99 $89.95 $79.95 $69.95 $77.97Replace All: 225/60R16 $423.96* $327.96** $420.00* $330.68* $422.40* $385.00 Vehicle 3 Front Brakes, Turn Rotors $180.00 $140.00 $200.00 $250.00 $230.00 $200.00Replace All: 265/70R17 $663.96* $755.95* $656.52* $496.28*** $636.00* $641.74

Newark, NJ MarketPeriod 6/1-11 Mass Mass Tire Tire Car Avg. Merch. Merch. Dealer Dealer Dealer All A B A B

Vehicle 1Oil Change/Filter $37.00 $21.39 $25.95 $29.00 $29.95 $28.66Replace All: 215/60R16 $331.96*** $460.00*** $528.00* $440.00** $632.00* $478.39 Vehicle 2 4 Wheel Alignment $75.00 $79.99 $95.00 $89.00 $119.95 $91.79Replace All: 225/60R16 $519.96* $752.00* $372.00* $387.80* $372.00* $480.75 Vehicle 3 Front Brakes, Turn Rotors $228.70 $190.00 $187.00 $160.00 $269.00 $206.94Replace All: 265/70R17 $1,083.96* $696.00* $753.52* $615.00* $1,028.00* $835.30

Tampa, FL MarketPeriod 6/1-11 Mass Mass Tire Tire Car Avg. Merch. Merch. Dealer Dealer Dealer All A B A B

Vehicle 1Oil Change/Filter $36.00 $24.60 $29.95 $29.99 $35.95 $31.30Replace All: 215/60R16 $287.96*** $299.96*** $450.60** $304.00*** $640.00* $396.50

Vehicle 2 4 Wheel Alignment $69.99 $79.99 $89.95 $69.95 $89.95 $79.97Replace All: 225/60R16 $307.60** $439.80* $416.16* $356.00* $434.56* $390.82 Vehicle 3 Front Brakes, Turn Rotors $190.00 $200.00 $159.95 $189.95 $159.95 $179.97Replace All: 265/70R17 $535.96** $639.80* $663.28* $660.00* $716.00* $643.00

TIRE RE VIEW and InteliChek presentup-to-date tire and service price infor-mation from U.S. metropolitan areas.

For this monthly feature, InteliChekdirectly contacts a selection of independ-ent tire dealers, mass merchants and cardealers to obtain current pricing onreplacement tires and vehicle services.

InteliChek requests and verifies retailprices via phone calls, using specific

vehicles, tire sizes and vehicle services.In that way, direct and useful compar-isons can be made by readers.

The tire prices shown in this reportare for tires only, and do not includemounting/balancing or any add-on war-ranties or other services or fees. To allowfor a more accurate comparison, thelevel of tire brand – Tier 1, Tier 2 andPrivate Brand/Other – recommended by

the retailer is noted. (See legend belowcharts.)

The services chosen for these surveysinclude a standard oil change (oil plusfilter), a standard four-wheel alignmentand front brake work (replace front padsand turn both rotors).

For more information on InteliChek,visit www.intelichek.com. TR

MANAGEMENT sales intelligence

Creating a “winning team cor-porate culture” is all abouteffectively managing your

team members’ attitudes, behaviorsand actions. Here are my great eightpractices for creating a winning teamculture that supports world-classsales and customer service objec-tives.

• Unengaged Employees Don’tCreate Engaged Customers: Whilethis is more of an affirmation than apractice, it’s really important youkeep this fact at the forefront of yourefforts to create a winning team cor-porate culture. If employees are dis-pleased at work, you can bet some ofthat displeasure is spilling over intotheir customer interactions. All ofthe following tips foster and buildemployee engagement.

• Set the Bar: Do you have docu-mented values and best practices thatset standards of performance andstate clearly what your organizationstands for and what is expected ofemployees in order to achieve it?Remember, a goal without a plan isjust a wish. Communicating yourorganization’s commitment to excel-lence through values and best prac-tices ensures everyone is on the samepage and that there is no confusionwith your winning team culture mis-sion. Establishing values and bestpractices is integral.

• Demonstrate Care: A winningteam culture can only survive andthrive in a caring and supportiveenvironment. When employees feellike machines, not human beings,they become emotionally detachedfrom the business and tend to gothrough the motions to get throughthe day. To build a winning team cul-

ture, managers should always treattheir team of employees exceedinglywell. Do you treat your employees ina manner that is consistent with theway you want them to treat cus-tomers? Most managers do not, yetthey expect their personnel to excelwhen it comes to positive customer

interactions. Managers should initi-ate contact with team members on aregular basis, both formally andinformally.

Taking time with employees toshow an interest in their work, andlistening to their issues and experi-ences demonstrates that you valuetheir contribution and builds moraleand motivation.

• Communicate Well: Can youhear me now? Too often, employeesdon’t feel like they have a true voice

in the company, that no one is reallylistening and that their opinionsdon’t matter. Winning Team Culturesencourage information sharing andpromote an environment of opencommunication where employees arecomfortable contributing their feed-back and ideas.

• Live “Winning Team” EveryDay: Creating a winning team cul-ture is not something that happens atthe corporate headquarters behindclosed doors. It’s in the stores, theservice areas, the warehouse, andeverywhere else employees interactwith customers and each other.Managers need to be physically –and mentally – present in the work-place to consistently communicatethe winning team message withemployees, reinforce a commitmentto excellence and promote continu-

BUILD FROM WITHINGreat Eight Practices for Creating a Winning Team Culture

Steve [email protected]

Managers should always seek out opportunitiesto acknowledge both individual and team effortsand celebrate jobs well done.

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ous improvement for individuals andthe company as a whole.

• Be a Champion Cheerleader:Perhaps nothing builds a winningteam corporate culture better thanrecognition. It’s amazing what can beachieved when people feel appreciat-ed. Recognition and praise go a longway toward building positive teamspirit and morale.

Managers should always seek outopportunities to acknowledge bothindividual and team efforts and cele-brate jobs well done. Make saying“thank you” a habit and always letemployees know when they have per-formed well. This reinforces properbehaviors, builds your personal rela-tionship and strengthens the culture.

• Encourage Growth: The old adagefits here, “If you’re not growing, you’redying.” It’s the same with employeesand corporate cultures: they mustmove forward or they will deteriorateover time. Managers need to makeprogress a priority. Whenever possible,take the opportunity to encourage thenext phase of employee and teamgrowth. Engagement and productivityimprove when employees know howthey are doing and what they canexpect in their future.

• Have Fun: Okay, I admit it – thisis my favorite one. As I discuss in myPinnacle Performance training, havingfun at work is a business strategy. Itgets back to practice No. 1, unengagedemployees don’t create engaged cus-tomers. There’s a reason so many mar-ket-leading companies are also consid-ered to be the best places to work.They know happiness matters andthey create a culture of fun in theworkplace that improves employeemorale and productivity. TR

Steve Ferrante, CEO of Sale Away LLC,is the producer and host of the PinnaclePerformance sales and customer servicetraining program for the tire/auto serviceindustry. He can be reached at 866-721-6086 ext. 701 or [email protected].


MOBILE MARKETINGCan Your Customers Find You Where They are Searching?

What is mobile marketingand why do you need toknow about it? That’s a

question I have been asked a lot lately.In this first column for TIRE REVIEW, Iwant to give you an introduction tothe world of mobile marketing.

My goal here is to provide you withsome answers and insight about newand powerful ways to generate morebusiness, both with new customersand repeat customers.

In 2011, more mobile devices wereshipped than laptops or desktop com-puters. You might even be seeing thistrend yourself with your employees,family and customers. They all are ontheir phones or tablets, tapping away.

A few weeks ago, while meetingwith a group of shop owners, one ofmy clients told me this story:

John Thompson had been walkingaround his shop wondering where allof these cars were coming from. Hisshop is located about a mile off thehighway, and over the last 18 yearsmost of his business had come fromcustomers in his own town.

Suddenly he was seeing cars he did-n’t recognize, some with out-of-stateplates. Yes, he always got a few travel-ers in the shop from the interstate, butthat was usually during a few big sum-mer months or holidays.

So, where were these new custo -mers coming from? John was stumpeduntil one of his techs told him it was“from Google.”

Of course, John was thrilled withthe new business, and they were com-ing in consistently. But he was stillhaving a problem understanding what“from Google” meant.

For those of us raised on local news -papers and Yellow Page ads, “fromGoogle” is the way most customers arefinding you today. Over the past de -cade, we have witnessed a technologi-

cal revolution. First we were able tofind anything we wanted to know,from anywhere around the world.Then, as technology continued itsinevitable march, we were able tocommunicate instantly with someoneon the other end of the world – andeven see them.

The old days of just having a signoutside your shop or simply relyingon word-of-mouth advertising aregone. The Yellow Pages are not nearly

as effective as they were just a fewshort years ago.

Sadly, even your website may nolonger be producing the results youhad hoped for – or even the sameresults you got when you firstlaunched it. No, there is a new mediaand we must pay attention to it.

The world has gone mobile and youmust go with it.

Mobile MattersCheck out these stats from Google:• 95% of all smartphone users have

searched for local information.• 61% of users call a business after

searching, and 59% visit the location.• 90% of smartphone users act to

make a purchase within 24 hours ofdoing a local search.

• Nearly 50% of all searches are per-formed on mobile devices, and thisfigure is growing each and every day.

But let’s take another look at thesefigures. If you look closely at the num-bers, they suggest people searching for

you on their mobile devices are morelikely to be active, interested buyers.After all, why would they even takethe time to search your business whilethey are out during their busy day?Think about it this way: Do you everlook for information about plumbersunless you really need one?

The convenience – size and range –of today’s smartphones make them theperfect shopping tool. It’s like meldingthe Yellow Pages with the telephone,and then throwing a full-blown laptopcomputer on top for good measure.

Brian SacksContributing Writer

People searching for you on their smartphones ortablets are more likely to be active, interestedbuyers – and they act on their searches.

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People using a desktop or laptop areable to type and search more easily andleisurely, so they may be more inclinedto “shop around.” People searching foryou using their mobile devices have animmediate need and just want to easilyconnect with you.

Take AdvantageStep 1: Take out your cell phone.

Today most phones are smartphones –iPhone, Android or BlackBerry. In fact,in a very short time, these will be themajority of phones in the U.S. andCanada.

Step 2: Find your smartphone’s webbrowser.

Step 3: Now type in the URL for yourwebsite and see what comes up.

Here are a few things to look for:• Does your website also have a

.mobi address? This is the newest do -main that has been set aside specificallyfor mobile websites.

• Using your smartphone, is your siteeasy to navigate, meaning can you get

to the most important functions quicklyand easily?

• Does it load quickly when display -ed on your smartphone?

“OK,” you might say, “We have agreat website, so why is all of this im -portant?” There are a few reasons. Thereality these days, according to Google,is that four out of every 10 onlinesearches are being done using a mobiledevice (smartphones or tablets like theiPad.) Simply put, without a mobile-friendly website, you could be missingout on 40%-50% of the people lookingfor your business.

But there are other reasons you needto pay attention to this. For example,many auto repair facilities are payingfirms to make sure their website gets ahigh ranking when people in the localarea are searching for them.

Google recently stated it is penalizingcompanies that don’t have mobile web-sites by downgrading them in searchrankings. What that really means isGoogle will have your ad appear farther

down the page and will be charging youmore per ad.

Here’s a quote directly from Google:“As a result of this change, ads that havemobile optimized landing pages willperform better in AdWords – they willgenerally drive more mobile traffic at alower cost.”

[As a side note: Websites that useFlash animation will only appear as ablank page on iPhones and iPads, sinceApple does not support Flash.]

Easy ConnectionsOn the next page are before and after

pictures of a website. The “before” ishow a business website would displayon a mobile device. The “after” showshow a mob ile-optimized website wouldappear. Which do you think customerswould make better use of?

Notice that in the “after” photo, thereare only a few key options displayed,allowing your customers to easily andquickly connect with you. The impor-tant thing with mobile-friendly websites

M A R K E T I N G M A T T E R S

44 T I R E R E V I E W - July/2012Rapid Response: 800-928-1184 ext. 40044

is to keep things easy and simple.We live in an instant gratification

society and if your site doesn’t loadquickly and make it very easy to con-nect, customers will simply go on to thenext search result.

The good news – and the bad – isthat less than 10% of our industry’swebsites are mobile-optimized, so thereis still time for dealers to take advantageof this opportunity.

Bottom Line Consumers looking

for your tires or vehicleservices will most likelybe searching on theirmobile phones. And asyou’ve seen, studies haveshown that a majority ofbuyers will make a pur-chase within 24 hours ofsearching.

Mobile device shop-pers have an urgentneed, unlike shoppersscanning their laptop for

the best price. The question is: Cantoday’s mobile device users find yourbusiness when they need tires or serv-ice?

Getting back to John and his effort todefine “from Google:” After a while,John understood why his lot was full ofout-of-towners.

Those customers were searching for atire or repair facility on their smart-phones. When his customers typed in

“Tire Store” or “Auto Repair,” John’snew mobile website showed up in theresults. The site has a “click to call” but-ton and a map so they can easily navi-gate right to John’s shop.

Finally – it all made sense!There are several other components

of a successful mobile marketing strate-gy, including mobile apps, text messag-ing, appointment reminder programsand, of course, mobile customer capturesystems. We’ll cover all of these in fu -ture articles, but if you have any mobilemarketing questions in the interim,email them to brian@trackableres -ponse.com and watch the next issue foryour answer. TR

Brian Sacks is a mobile marketing expertwith more than 26 years of direct responsemarketing experience. He is co-founder ofTrackable Response Inc., a mobile market-ing provider to the tire and auto serviceindustries, based in Catonsville, Md. Briancan be reached at [email protected] or 410-747-1100.

M A R K E T I N G M A T T E R S



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When Trey Cook’s grandfa-ther founded SavannahTire in 1951, he was for-

ward-thinking enough to hire anestate-planning attorney long beforehe retired. Now that the eight-shopdealership is owned by Trey’s 67-year-old father, the Cooks already haveplanned the Georgia company’s transi-tion to Trey’s generation – still usingthe same attorney Trey’s grandfatherdid decades ago.

“It makes for a very easy under-standing by all parties involved,”says COO Trey of his family’s partic-ularly smooth, familial and time-test-ed process.

But the Cook family’s experiencehas indeed been atypically smooth.Too often, business owners – humanbeings after all – are reluctant tothink about the time they’ll cash out,either literally through retirement orfiguratively to that big ol’ retirementhome in eternity. Many put off suc-

cession planning and wealth-preser-vation strategizing until it’s either toolate, or later than is ideal.

Financial advisors warn thattoday’s economic uncertainty is onlyexacerbated by such delays in busi-ness estate planning. They also cau-tion business owners against feelingfalsely secure just because plans havebeen made to pass along a companywithin a family without a sale. Thetax ramifications can still be huge.

So, once mortality – or at leastretirement – have been acknowl-edged, what should tire dealers do tosuccessfully pass along their busi-ness, as well as preserve theirwealth?

TIRE REVIEW interviewed threeexperts – a business-wealth transfer-planning specialist and author, a con-tinuing- and executive-educator inthe field, and a philanthropy archi-tect – to gather their wisdom on thetopic. Here is their advice.

Family MattersKarl Bareither has spent half a cen-

tury helping families with the legal,tax, financial and relationship issuesrelating to the transfers of their busi-nesses. The Avila Beach, Calif.-basedtransfer-planning specialist calls hisapproach holistic, since it deals withwhat he considers to be four inter-twined aspects. From the commonal-ities he found in those 50 years ofwork, he wrote two books on thesubject: “Planning a Family andBusiness Legacy” and “Becoming aWealth Transfer Specialist.”

“It’s my attempt to assist familybusinesses to learn from others howthey both failed and succeeded topass on their family-businesswealth,” he says. “Planning is a jour-ney, not a destination.”

The business-legacy book,Bareither explains, presents“deplorable statistics” surroundingpoorly transferred wealth and

Business Succession Plan

By Joanne Draus KleinContributing Editor

encourages business owners to notdelay in creating succession plans.It also tells readers to avoid poten-tially disastrous secretive plans byhaving a trained specialist conductindividual meetings with each fami-ly member and key non-familyemployees, possibly concludingwith a family retreat to review thefinal plan.

Not only does this process pro-mote family communication about apotentially touchy subject, he says,but it also maximizes profitabilityand minimizes the role of theInternal Revenue Service. “It rede-fines wealth as more than money orproperty and includes healthy fami-ly relationships as a legacy beyondfinancial wealth,” Bareither says. “Itredefines the client as the entirefamily rather than the current prin-cipal business owner.”

Bareither says he has clients con-sider several questions before estab-lishing a family-based successionplan:

• Are family members ready toassume control, or will key non-family employees be able to runthe company effectively?

• Would the value of the busi-ness be better protected by thesale of the business to a non-family member in order to betterachieve family objectives?

• Will the business owner beable to retire and keep the familybusiness intact?

• Does the business owner havean adequate retirement estab-lished?

“And if you want to leave a lega-cy,” he says of another importantconsideration, “evaluate the buyerto determine if the quality of serv-ice will continue to meet your stan-dards.”

Eagerness to simply accept thehighest bidder when selling a busi-ness, after all, is widely recognizedas a potential mistake in legacy

planning. Other issues, from thecontinuation of corporate culture toa buyer’s financing choice, need tocome into play. Some small-businessowners even choose to avoid buyersaltogether, as family transfers canbe tax savers.

But Bareither advises that busi-ness owners become “aware ofchanges in tax law that will affecttheir ability to transfer their busi-ness interests with the least amountof IRS interference,” he says. “Taxlaws change from time to time, andbusiness owners need to be awareof these changes in order to modifycurrent planning.”

Bareither also reminds clientsthat if a business is owned by morethan one person, a written business-continuation agreement should beexecuted, in case disability, illness,accident or death befalls one of theowners. He says it should reflectthe true current value of the busi-ness, as determined by a licensedappraiser, as well as its potentialfuture value.

Not only does a realistic appraisalresult in a cleaner transfer in thecase of an owner death, it also pre-vents the need for a revampedretirement for those owners whosimply leave the working world, asmany retirement plans are based onbad valuations.

And bad valuations are just one ofthe glitches that may occur in thesuccession process if a dealer’s advi-sors aren’t qualified. Keeping thingsin the family doesn’t mean hiringUncle Louie to do the deal. Someexperts even suggest that multipleinterviews be conducted with multi-ple candidates when seeking legalcounsel and other professional serv-

ices to avoid missed businessopportunities.

Bareither says that qualifiedexperts also can be located throughtrusted referrals. In addition to anobjective, independent and experi-enced business-estate planningattorney, those experts mightinclude an accountant, a life-insur-ance agent, a financial advisor, alicensed appraiser and even a familysystem specialist when matters ofbusiness distrust arise. “I think it’simportant to contact all trustedadvisors and encourage them towork as an effective team,” heexplains.

By doing these things, Bareithersays, tire dealers may come tounderstand what he considers to bethe principles of successful succes-sion planning: It’s a family affair,not an owner’s affair; it’s a process,not a transaction; it’s an open agen-da, not secretive; it deals with bothinternal and external matters; itshould be objectively facilitated, nota free-for-all; it’s an examination ofissues, not a whitewash; and a busi-ness’s greatest resource isn’t a shop,equipment or real estate, but peo-ple.

Open Up and Let GoAs with many family matters and

communication issues, however,openness in succession planningcan be tough. Brian Cruickshankbelieves it can indeed be the mostdifficult part of the process.

“For small-business owners, thesharing of information can often bethe hardest step,” says the director ofNorthwood University’s University ofthe Aftermarket, a continuing educa-tion program for vehicle aftermarket


“It’s a family affair, not an owner’s affair; it’s a process, not atransaction; it’s an open agenda, not secretive; it deals withboth internal and external matters; it should be objectively

facilitated, not a free-for-all; it’s an examination of issues, nota whitewash; and a business’s greatest resource isn’t a shop,

equipment or real estate, but people.”

-Karl Bareither, Transfer-Planning Specialist

executives in Midland, Mich. “Inmany respects, the owner is the busi-ness. They make all the decisions.They have all the contacts. They knowthe details of the business and tendnot to share this information with any-one. However, this information mustbe shared with those who will ulti-mately take over the business some-day.

“When you create a business that’sdependent on the owner, you do twothings,” he explains. “First, you limityour growth. A personality-dependentbusiness only runs at its best when theowner is present. These kinds of own-ers feel like they can never take avacation because they feel like theyneed to be there.

“The second issue, the one thatrelates to succession planning, is thatsuch owners tend to keep all the infor-mation to themselves. If there wereever a problem, who would knowwhat to do? Sharing of information –not only the day-to-day operations,but the larger issues – is critical to cre-ating a business that can survive.”

Some experts also attribute lowercompany sale prices to owner-depend-ency, saying potential buyers may seesuch businesses as high risk. And theemotional impact of selling or trans-ferring a business can be overwhelm-ing enough without over-attachmentsof purpose and self, which have beenknown to result in downright irra-tional behavior during transfer negoti-ations and beyond. Some owners sim-ply can’t let go.

So, how can tire dealers avoid thesepitfalls and begin the process of open-ness and successful transfer?

“To get the ball rolling, talk to yourattorney and financial advisor,”Cruickshank says. “Then start think-ing about the kind of person you’dlike to run the business, rememberingthat they may not be just like you.

“What kind of person would I feelcomfortable with running the busi-ness, and is there someone alreadyhere who meets those criteria?” hesays, listing questions that should beasked. “Do my children have the samepassion that I do for the business?They don’t always. Do my childrenhave the aptitude to run the business?

They don’t always.”Once a dealer has come to terms

with his or her expectations for thedealership’s legacy, Cruickshank says atrusted attorney and accountant candelve into the details. “Many of thebusiness-transaction issues should bediscussed and put in a documentbefore a problem like death or illnessarises,” he says. Among the legal doc-uments created to help define a busi-ness and plan for its future are real-estate trust entities, limited liabilitycompany entities, operating agree-ments, articles of incorporation andlast will and testaments.

As for the nation’s current economicstate, some experts say today’s lowervaluation rates actually may provide atax benefit to planning ahead and tak-ing action. If a business is valued at$10 million today, for example, wait-ing until it’s valued at $20 million canresult in a higher gift tax for thosewho transfer interests in the company.

Cruickshank, however, says theeconomy shouldn’t play too much of arole in a dealer’s succession considera-tions. “Economic realities really haveno bearing on whether a businessplans for succession,” he says. “It cer-tainly might impact the valuation of abusiness, but those details are the sortsof things that get sorted out later.Finding the right person and putting aplan in place, those are the sorts ofthings that can be done in good or badeconomic times.”

Cruickshank’s best advice? It’s sim-ple: “Do it now.”

Symbiotic StrategyDan Rice considers himself a philan-

thropy architect. It’s an intriguing titlethat applies to both his work withConvoy of Hope, a global charitybased in Springfield, Mo., as well ashis expertise in charity-based small-business succession planning. But histwo roles go hand-in-hand.

“First, let’s agree that, for most busi-ness owners, the essence of successionplanning is being able to keep andcontinue the business in the family,”he says. “The process to successfullycomplete a succession plan focusesprimarily on two cans of worms: thetransfer of the legal ownership of the



business and the transfer of manage-ment control. Importantly, the goodnews is that the timing of these twotypes of transfers may be extremelydifferent.

“The charitably-minded client canconsider transferring their businessownership to the next generationusing…a charitable remainder trust, acharitable lead trust or a private familyfoundation,” he adds. “The childrencan still work in the business anddevelop their management compe-tence and confidence while waiting toreceive the stock ownership in thebusiness.”

That’s when the symbiosis betweenthe two concepts begins.

“Interestingly,” Rice explains, “inmany cases the money that wouldhave otherwise been paid out to theIRS in the form of income taxes, capi-tal-gains taxes, gift taxes or estatetaxes can instead be given to theowner’s favorite charitable organiza-tions or to the family foundation. Thefoundation can also be one of theowners, too.

“If you began to put your successionplan into play and you knew there wasgoing to be a tax hit that goes with it,and you had a choice between payingthose taxes or giving away that moneyto your favorite charities, what wouldyou say?” he asks. “In many cases, it’swise to take the extra time to compare

what is left over for you in the way ofdiscretionary income if you decide toinclude or exclude charitable gift plan-ning.

“Usually, the tax threat occurs whenthe business owner will be realizing acapital gain from a profit-generatingtransaction,” Rice says. “Instead ofhaving to recognize the entire capitalgain, when you sell stock or otherassets for a profit, you can avoid pay-ing unnecessary capital gains taxes bygiving to charity that portion of thestock or other assets equal to the valueyou were planning to give awayalready.”

But given today’s economy, is thecharitable approach to tax savings fea-sible? Rice resoundingly says yes – butnot for long.

“For those people who are stilljammed up with succession-planningparalysis, it’s time to recognize that itwould be hard to find a better time toget unstuck,” he says. “Remarkably,the small-business owner today hasthe greatest range of options, process-es, techniques and tools for conduct-ing their succession plans than at anyother time in recent memory. That’schiefly because the federal gift tax,estate tax and generation-skippingtransfer tax rates are the lowest, andthe related exemption amounts are atan all-time high. The catch, however,is that unless Congress takes action,these tax rates will increase, and allexemptions will decrease dramaticallybeginning Jan. 1, 2013.

“For example,” Rice hypothesizes,“if a business owner took action nowand completed their succession planin 2012 by transferring ownership oftheir business to their children, thebusiness owner could remove up to$5.12 million, or $10.24 million for amarried couple, of their businessassets out of their estate, free of giftand estate taxes.”

But what if the business owner stillhas concerns about giving up controlover the management of the businessin 2012?

“Savvy business owners understandthe difference between ownership of abusiness and control of a business,” heexplains. “For example, if I give mydaughter 99% of the stock in my busi-



“Remarkably, the small-business owner today has the great-est range of options, processes, techniques and tools for con-ducting their succession plans than at any other time in recentmemory.”

-Dan Rice, Expert in Charity-Based Small-Business Succession Planning

ness in the form of non-voting stock,and I keep the remaining 1% of thestock in the form of voting stock, Istill get to call all of the shots. Period.”

Rice apparently is in agreement withCruickshank and Bareither about thedifficulties many business owners havewith simply letting go. But he alsooffers solutions.

“Perhaps the greatest concern is afear of losing control,” he echos.“However, when a cautious businessowner is contemplating including acharitable trust or foundation as oneof its business owners, he or she canalso choose to serve as the trustee ofthe charitable entity and retain legallypermissible control over the stock heldby the charitable entity. Business own-ers can also give non-voting stock, orstock subject to buy/sale agreementsand also attach rights of first refusalon stock redemptions. These arrange-ments and others can enable businessowners to give stock confidently tothese entities.

“Plus, there is substantial flexibilityin how the stock can be subsequentlyowned or transferred or redeemed orsold by the charitable entity,” he adds.“Business owners might find it com-forting to know that the two largestand most valuable gifts transferredeach year to charitable trusts, founda-tions and organizations are gifts offamily-owned business stock and realestate.”

So, if a dealer chooses the charitableroute to succession planning, howshould he or she begin the process?

“A tire dealer who is also involvedin regular charitable giving shouldconsider giving a planned-giving

expert a seat at the table,” Rice says.“Each year, many very wealthy busi-ness owners who can afford the bestadvisors pay enormous amounts ofcapital-gains taxes and also make sig-nificant charitable gifts, according tothe annually published ‘IRS Statisticson Income.’ The dealers’ professionaladvisors have their heads down andare focused entirely on their areas ofexpertise. The benefits of giving assetslike stock instead of cash are over-looked. A philanthropy coach can helpdealers save taxes, without the dealershaving to give more than they hadplanned to. It’s just a matter of givinga different way.

“Fortunately, if the business owneris already actively giving to charitableorganizations and at least one ofthem is a larger charity listed in thePhilanthropy 400, it’s a safe bet thecharity will have a planned-givingdepartment that can help,” he adds.“Another resource is the Partnershipfor Philanthropic Planning, an 8,000-member organization that can helpthe business owner wherever they’relocated.”

Regardless of the tactics used, Ricestrongly suggests considering the char-itable approach.

“Don’t leave sensible and compli-mentary charitable-planning optionson the table, especially when they canyield significant leftover discretionaryincome for you while allowing you tohave an indisputable choice betweenpaying avoidable taxes or makingmeaningful charitable gifts – fromcapital you’re not going to be able tokeep for yourself.” TR



PICKING UP SALESSkid-Steer Market on the Rebound as Construction Restarts

The versatility of skid-steerloaders opens the door to awide array of potential tire

customers.From construction, farming and

forestry to landscaping and snowremoval – and many, many areas inbetween – the applications for thehardy machines are nearly endless.Yet despite such application diversi-ty, tire dealers who participate inthis niche segment can keep skid-steer customers coming back byoffering some general knowledgeand mastering a few overarchingstrategies.

As with many tire segments, theskid-steer tire market reached a peakin 2007 and early 2008, right beforethe economic downturn, accordingto Robyn Conrad, ag marketingdirector for Michelin North America.“As with many products, the skid-steer tire market, as well as theequip ment market, dropped rapidly,”she says. “However, a rebound hasbegun and the market is gainingsome strength.”

Conrad adds Michelin expects themarket will continue to grow,though not at the pace of the early2000s. She cites a recent Bloombergreport that stated builders brokeground on more single-family hous-es for a third consecutive month inMay and rising construction permitspointed to further gains, showingthe residential real estate market isweathering the U.S. economic slow-down.

Roger Johnson, strategic accountsmanager for Carlisle Tire & WheelCo., also points to the uptick inhousing starts and constructionrecovery in general as importantindicators of the health of the skid-steer market in coming years.

In addition to economic hard-

ships, “the countervailing duties onChina-produced tires also causedconsiderable turmoil in the marketsince their enactment in 2008,” John -son explains. “The net result hasbeen a shift to tire production inAsian countries other than China andonly a small increase in U.S.-produc -ed tires.”

He notes Carlisle is continuing toincrease its U.S.-based production inits new plant in Jackson, Tenn.

Globally, the skid-steer market isgrowing fastest in “developing coun-tries and countries whose economiesare doing well,” says Minoo Mehta,director of commercial tire market-ing for Hercules Tire & Rubber Co.,who adds that at this time there areno shortages, with supply amplymeeting demand.

While Mehta notes the marketstill is predominantly bias ply andlow price segment, there is a shiftoccurring.

Hugo Morales, product marketingmanager for Michelin’s mining seg-ment, says the newest advancementin skid-steer tire technology is radialdesign. He adds Michelin’s Bibsteel

combines radial technology, steelbelts and steel sidewall construc-tion, allowing the tire to last “atleast two times as long as bias tech-nology, depending on the situation.”

In addition to radialization, therealso has been movement towardfoam-filled or solid tires. Accordingto Charlie Cohen, who co-ownsBensenville, Ill.-based Industrial TireSolutions with partner Mike Pollini,today’s solid tires are comprised

As construction rebounds following the economic downturn, sales of skid-steer loader units – andtires – have seen an uptick.

Denise Koeth, Managing [email protected]

Skid-steer machines themselves are trendingtoward even more versatility, with new tools and attachments for specialized use.


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either of a tire molded to a wheel as aone-piece assembly, or press-on typesthat fit onto a customer’s OE flat-based wheel.

“Many have tough ‘mining grade’rubber compounds, which offerextremely long wear and a soft ride,”Cohen says. “Some of these solid tires

claim to offer up to two to three timesthe wear of a pneumatic or foam-filledtire.”

Hercules’ Mehta adds that severalother innovations also play a part intoday’s skid-steer tire technology,including reinforced body plies; a“recap dam,” or additional belt ply

under the tread for reinforcement;extra deep treads; and chip- and cut-resistant tread compounding.

Skid-steer machines themselves aretrending toward even more versatility,with new tools and attachments forspecialized use. Carlisle’s Johnsonsays, “Regularly being introduced arenew tools that add to the versatility ofthe machines. For example, youalmost never see a man with a jack-hammer breaking up concrete at aconstruction site anymore. This workis now most often done with a skid-steer with a ‘breaker’ mounted on itsboom. These breakers are bigger andmore powerful, and thus much moreproductive.”

Customers and ServiceAs varied as skid-steer uses are, tire

customers in this segment generallyseek the same attributes: “Most skidsteer customers look for a tire thatwill give them value and life in thelong run,” Cohen says.

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58 T I R E R E V I E W - July/2012Rapid Response: 800-928-1184 ext. 40058

That often boils down to reinforcedsidewalls, the ability to fight lug tear-ing, a strong casing for retreading, arobust appearance and price, accord-ing to Mehta.

Higher hour users and large scaleoperators generally seek premiumtires that offer added traction, life anduptime, Johnson explains, while “val -ue” tires usually are ideal for lowerhour users, individual operators andused machine buyers. “On the premi-um end of the market, the tires arebecoming increasingly heavy in orderto carry larger loads and provide alonger life,” he notes.

Additional features skid-steer usersseek in a tire include better stability,a smooth ride and turns, even treadwear, and a compound that preventsthe tire from leaving marks on sur-faces like concrete, Michelin’sConrad says. “Owners of skid-steerloaders look at how the tire can ben-efit their unique operation,” sheadds. “If the tire fails, the operation

stops and that costs the ownermoney. The more hours the machineis working, the more revenue theskid-steer creates.”

When servicing skid-steer clients,tire dealers should note that replace-ment situations take two forms: plan -ned and unplanned. “Replacement forwear is often planned and the custo -mer has some time to think of whathe wants in a tire,” Carlisle’s Johnsonsays. “However, often tires are dam-aged in a variety of ways, the pur-chase is unplanned, and replacementis needed immediately.”

In order to address unplanned rep -lacements, Cohen advises that dealersstock the most popular sizes duringthe early spring and into fall in snow-belt areas, as well as utilize well-stocked, nearby warehouses. “Skilledservice technicians, competitive pric-ing and perhaps a ‘good, better, best’pricing structure also may help, asthere is plenty of competition in mostmarkets,” he says.

Michelin’s Morales says dealersmust keep in mind they are selling theability for the skid-steer owner toincrease revenue. “The more themachine runs, the more revenue theskid-steer owner makes,” he explains.“Dealers should realize they are busi-ness partners with the skid-steerowner and should advise the rightpro duct for the right application,which equals high performance, repeatbusiness – and most important, thetrust and confidence of the skid-steerloader owner.”

Hercules’ Mehta adds that to stayon top of sizing trends, dealers shouldtake note of “the OE fitments of todaythat will be replacement demand fortomorrow.”

The skid-steer market’s slow butsteady growth, combined with a widerange of potential customers, offersample opportunity for tire dealers togrow their bottom line. TR

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July/2012 - t i r e r e v i e w . c o m 59Rapid Response: 800-928-1184 ext. 40059

PERFECT BRAKES?Carbon Ceramic Rotors Boast Many Advantages – and a High Price Tag

Would you spend $8,000to $12,000 for an option-al brake package on your

next vehicle? What if I told you they would

never fade, would improve gasmileage and maybe need a changeevery 180,000 miles? Ceramic com-posite or carbon ceramic brake rotorsand pads offer these advantages – andmore.

While it may seem like these sys-tems are untouchable like somesupermodels, this expensiveoption on some high performancevehicles could be the brake of thefuture – if the cost comes down.

Ceramic composite rotors areextremely durable. In fact, manu-facturers claim that they’ll neverneed replacement – at least with“normal” driving. They’re alsoresistant to the kind of distortionsand wear that lead to pedal pulsa-tion – merely an annoyance in the“real world,” but a noticeable per-formance issue on the track.

The brake discs are formedfrom a specially treated carbon-fibercompound that is silicated in a high-vacuum process at higher tempera-tures than any stop could produce.Not only are the resulting discs muchharder than standard discs, they aremore resistant to heat. The processused to produce the discs for CCB iscomplex, time-consuming and costlywhen compared to cast iron.

The carbon fibers are blended with aresin of carbon and silicon. The mix-ture is pressed into a mold to create thebasic disc shape, including its internalcooling vents. Using heat up to 3,000ºF, the resin is converted to silicon car-bide, a material nearly as hard as dia-mond. This is the “ceramic” in “carbonceramic.” If you tried to machine theserotors, you would need diamond

tipped bits in your brake lathe.The low thermal expansion of the

brake discs prevents deformationunder heavy braking. Furthermore,the ceramic brake discs are totallyresistant to corrosion and offer morefavorable noise-damping properties.

AdvantagesBecause of their exceptional perfor -

mance in extreme conditions, ceramiccomposite brakes were developed foruse in high-level motorsports competi-

tion. Porsche was the first automakerto apply them for road use, withPorsche Ceramic Composite Brakesincluded as standard equipment in thePorsche GT2 and Carrera GT and asan option in most other models.

Ceramic composite brake discs pro-vide a 50% weight savings comparedto conventional metal discs. Thisreduces unsprung weight, enhancesshock absorber response and vehiclehandling, and also improves fuel effi-ciency and contributes to reducedemissions.

Ceramic composite brake discs havean extremely hard surface that pro-vides consistent frictional valuesthroughout the deceleration process,even in braking from extremely highspeeds and at high operating tempera-tures, such as those generated fromrepeated braking.

But the system also provides bene-fits in low-speed situations. In theevent of an emergency stop, the tech-nology does not require heavy pedalforces or outside technological boost-

ing assistance to achieve maximumand immediate stopping force.

With cross-drilled discs and padsthat are resistant to water absorp-tion, the ceramic composite brakesprovide superior response in wetconditions, as well as dry. Becauseof their hard surface and immunityto salt corrosion, Porsche CeramicComposite Brakes have an extre -mely long operating life.

Service LifePorsche Ceramic Composite

Brakes have been on the market foralmost 10 years. There have been norecalls or lawsuits. With some com-plaints on low speed noise, Porsche’sadvice is to warm them up.

The only real complaints with theceramic disc have come from weekendracers who experienced cracked discsdue to extreme abuse. Porsche’s adviceis to check for cracks before they headout to the track. With the replacementcosts of four discs and pads reachingmore than $20,000, many are switch-ing to cast iron rotors and semi-metal-lic pads. TR

This expensive option on some high performancevehicles could be the brake of the future – if thecost comes down.


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ceAndrew MarkelContributing Editor


BOOSTED BRAKESA Look Back at the History of Power-Assisted Brakes

Since we are talking brakes thismonth, let’s do a little compari-son of the most popular brake

systems that brought us from thedays of dragging a flat plate againstthe wagon wheel or mashing yourfoot down on a mechanical linkagearm that eventually either slowedthe car down or gave you one reallystrong leg.

What I’m talking about are thepower-assisted brake systems we findon modern cars and trucks.

These days, we don’t even considerpower brakes as something that need -ed inventing, but merely a standardfeature that we now come to expectout of our daily transportation. Well,you may not have heard the term in awhile, but “power brakes” had to startsomewhere.

Probably the first place to look iswhat got it all started: Pascal’s law ofhydraulics, the law of fluids inmotion and how they can be used toincrease force.

Pascal’s law states that when thereis an increase in pressure at anypoint in a confined fluid, there is anequal increase at every other point inthe container.

It took Pascal to open our eyes towhat could be done “hydraulically”with a fluid.

Around 1918, a young inventortook the Pascal idea and applied it tobrakes. His name was Malcolm Loug -heed (later he changed the spelling ofhis name to Lockheed). In 1921, theModel A Duesenberg became the firstcar to have hyd raulic brakes.

Although they were not powerassisted, the effectiveness of thebrakes was well noted, compared tothe mechanical brake systems thatwere common at the time.

In the early 1920s, Pierce-Arrowbecame the first carmaker to take

Pascal’s basic theory and add a vacu-um assist to the hydraulic brake sys-tem. This inventive way of assistingthe driver while braking is now partof our everyday driving experience.We don’t even call them “powerbrakes” anymore.

In 1938, there was a car called aTincher that used air assisted brakes,

but wasn’t really considered a power-assisted system.

HydrovacStarting in the early 1940s, one of

my favorite types of brake systems tostudy is the hydrovac brake system. Ifyou’re a connoisseur of mechanicalthings, this is one you’ll need to getclose with. Explaining this brake sys-tem is an Olympic event. In my book,it’s one of the true “mechanical” mar-vels of the brake world. At firstglance, there are so many things goingon at the same time that it looks likeit shouldn’t work, but it does.

As you apply pressure to thebrake pedal, the fluid pressure is in -creased (Pascal’s law) to a slave cylin-der and the individual wheel cylin-ders. As more pressure is applied, theadded pressure overcomes a slidingvalve that then pushes a triangulararm that, in turn, rotates valves toclose an atmospheric valve and open

a vacuum valve. This vacuum valvethen pulls the vacuum air into alarge chamber that pushes a largebellow against the valve in the slavecylinder, tripling the available fluidpressure to the wheels. Get all that?

The harder you pushed on thebrake pedal, the more the bellowspushed the fluid toward the wheelcylinders. As you let up on the pedal,the internal valve started to close,lowering the vacuum pressure untilit reached atmospheric air pressure.

Last year, I restored a 1956 fire/res-cue truck. One of the things I had togo through completely was the brake

We don’t consider power brakes as somethingthat needed inventing, merely a standard featurewe now come to expect out of our transportation.

Scott “Gonzo” WeaverContributing Writer

system. I’m still amazed at how thisbrake system works. For nearly 30years, this was one of the most commonbrake systems on most large trucks andsome cars. To this day, you can still findthe hydrovac system used in certainapplications. In fact, rebuilt units,rebuild kits and refurbished compo-

nents are still available. As long as this system has a good

supply of vacuum and clean fluid, thepower brake system will do the job.Stand on the brake pedal with a lot offorce and I’ll guarantee you it will putthe stop on those brake shoes with acrisp jolt that can throw you up against

the windshield. But the thrill for me isstill watching the action of the internalparts of this mechanical marvel.

If you would like more informationon this system, there are several videosand informative sites on the Internet. Ialso found an early 1950s military train-ing video that explained it all in detail.

HydroboostThe next system is a hydroboost sys-

tem. The big difference between thisand the hydrovac system is the fact thatthere is no vacuum used to operate the“power” in the power assist. Generally,the power was generated by the powersteering pump. In some cases, an elec-tric motor applied the needed power toincrease the pressure on the brake fluid.

In these systems, when the pressureis applied by the brake pedal, a port inthe master cylinder allows the higherpressure of the power steering systemto aide in the overall pressure of thebrake system.

This is a great system for the hobby-

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ist who wants a clean look or doesn’twant the bulky vacuum unit under thehood. I also see this type of unit on larg-er delivery trucks and commercial units.

Having less parts to be concernedwith vs. the hydrovac unit makes this avery reliable system. Today, you can findthese units on some production cars,delivery vans, large trucks and commer-cial vehicles.

If space is at a premium, the hydro-boost system is a good choice for thatspecial project car.

Vacuum BoostVacuum boost power brakes are by

far the most popular type of assistedbrakes. As with the last two examples,the idea is to apply additional pressureto the brake fluid, allowing less effortfrom the operator.

Vacuum brakes do not need a slavecylinder to add the extra push or apower steering pump to apply the pres-sure – just good, old intake manifold

vacuum. (Some diesels and small out-put engines used a belt-driven vacuumpump.) The principle is the same ineach case, but the cost-effective vacuumbooster wins out on average vehicles.

It’s a simple system that’s effective anddownright reliable. The main principlebehind vacuum boost brakes is to takeatmospheric pressure and vacuum airand move one to the other.

Since the “atmosphere” wants toalways balance the pressure, the vacu-um is the “lack” of atmosphere air. So,as the plunger is pushed, a valve opens,allowing the air to move toward thevacuum section, which is turned intothe added force against the brake fluid.

It’s impressive to think “air” is the realstrength in the booster system. But it is.Think of it as wind moving from ahigh-pressure area to a low-pressurearea: The larger the difference in “at -mospheric” pressure, the more intensethe wind. That speed is the key in mak-ing the vacuum booster so reactive to

the touch of the brake pedal.Mechanical things intrigue me; I love

to see how they work and how theyaccomplish their tasks. These boostersare just a small part of what I find inter-esting in the world of automotive repair.The better I understand how any sys-tem works, the better I can make theright decisions on service and repairs.

Now in the 21st century, we haveregenerative braking systems, anti-lockbrakes and stability control. Along withthe old standards, there are even morebrake systems to study and get familiarwith. Keeping up with the changes isjust another part of being a good techni-cian in today’s world.

While every day is another learningexperience, I also think it’s a good ideato study the history of this automotiveworld. What’s old becomes new, but in anewer element. So when you see some-thing that you believe is new and inven-tive, check the history books and youmay find out that it’s not that new. TR

S E R V I C E


Pinnacle PerformanceThe High-Performance

Tire & Auto Service BusinessSales & Customer Service Training Program

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Whether you’re a multi-location market-leading tire/auto service business or want to be, thisproven training program can help you reach new heights of sales and profitability.

For complete program details on Pinnacle Performance for your tire/auto service business, visit www.saleawayllc.com

or contact Steve Ferrante directly @ 866-721-6086 Ext 701 or via email @ [email protected].

"Simply the best! Steve’s training is truly tremendous and has transformed our sales andcustomer service effort to achieve greater levels

of success in our highly competitive market."-Steve Keusch, Dunn Tire

"Enthusiastic recommendation! You could call any one of our guys and get a raving review of the

training –it is extremely effective!"-Sean Furrier, Jack Furrier Tire & Auto Care

As Featured In

TPMS REVEALEDCommon TPMS Service Questions and Answers

What is one of the leadingcauses of TPMS sensorfailure?

Corrosion. Sensors or sensor stemscan be damaged by corrosion fromroad salts, moisture, missing valvecaps or galvanic corrosion. The useof dissimilar metals or non-TPMScomponents can result in galvaniccorrosion, which may affect the sen-sor’s ability to read or transmit data.

How many TPMS sensors are on theroad?

Today, there are more than 200million TPMS sensors on the road.More than 35% of the sensors arenow at least three years old. It’s beenestimated that more than 9 millionsensors will need to be replaced inthe next two years.

What percentage of the sensors andsystems can “relearn” on their own?

Less than 40% of vehicles can resetthe TPMS light without special tools.However, many of these relearn pro-cedures cannot learn new sensor IDsor can learn only one new sensor IDper relearn cycle. The other 60% ofvehicles require an activation orcom bination activation/scan tool.

What are the common standards forTPMS systems?

There is no common standard forthe TPMS sensors, with variationsincluding frequencies, modulations,data structure, communications pro-tocols, mechanical fitment and manyother factors. While NHTSA man-dates that the TPMS must warn thedriver when a tire is underinflated by25%, it did not specify any standardsfor sensors or the equipment.

What type of information is trans-mitted by the TPMS sensors?

Direct TPMS sensors can transmitdata such as their unique sensor ID,temperature and pressure, battery lifeand other diagnostic information. In -direct TPMS sensors can only assesstire inflation levels.

How long do the batteries in thesensors last?

It depends on a variety of factors

including the sample rate, drive cycleof the customer and even the envi-ronment. If a sensor transmits thepressure every 10 seconds, it will notlast as long as a sensor that transmitsthe pressure every 15 seconds. Somesensors may last as long as 10 years,while some may last only three tofive years.

How do I know if a vehicle is equip -ped with direct TPMS?

All vehicles manufactured after2007 will have TPMS and can be iden-tified with a lighted universal symbol

on the dash that will illuminatewhen the ignition is turned to the“on” position. If this doesn’t work,try using the “learn and test” proce-dure with a TPMS tool.

Remember, a snap-in valve-styleTPMS sensor looks very similar to astandard tubeless tire valve. Alwayscheck the owner’s manual or turn onthe ignition and look for the univer-

sal TPMS symbol to determine if thevehicle has TPMS.

What does it mean if the TPMSwarning lamp becomes illuminated?

When the TPMS warning lamp onthe instrument panel illuminateswhile the vehicle is being driven, itmeans that the system has detectedat least one tire with a pressure atleast 25% below the accepted mini-mum inflation pressure for the vehi-cle. If the lamp comes on, the drivershould inspect their tires and checkthe pressure as soon as possible. The

Andrew MarkelContributing Editor

The grommets around the base and nut of thesensor must be replaced every time the sensoris removed from the wheel.


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lamp should extinguish after the tiresare properly inflated.

What does it mean if the warninglamp goes on and off?

On cold mornings, the warninglamp may illuminate for a short periodof time and then extinguish. This typeof warning lamp response is likelycaused by marginally low tire pressurethat dips below the warning thresholdovernight, but rises to an acceptablelevel as the tires heat up through vehi-cle operation or an increase in ambi-ent temperature.

What does it mean if the lamp flash-es on and off and then remains illu-minated?

All TPMS installed on 2008 modelyear vehicles and newer are requiredto detect and warn the driver whenthe system is not functioning properly(malfunction indicator). For someTPMS, a system malfunction is indi-cated by a flashing of the low tire pres-sure warning lamp for a period 60 to90 seconds, with the warning lampremaining illuminated after the flashsequence. The flashing sequence, fol-lowed by continuous illumination ofthe warning lamp, will repeat at eachsubsequent vehicle start-up until themalfunction is corrected.

What should be replaced when a sen-sor is removed from the wheel?

The grommets around the base andnut of the sensor must be replacedevery time the sensor is removed fromthe wheel. The material in the sealshas a “memory” of where it wasplaced and the amount of clampingforce. When the old seal is taken offthe rim, it’s deformed and will notproperly reseal if it’s retightened.

Service packs provide the sealingcomponents for each applicable sensor(clamp-in or snap-in) and can bereplaced just as valve stems are today.Each time a clamp-in sensor is re -moved from the valve hole, the grom-met, nut, nickel-plated core, cap andany other components supplied in theservice pack should be replaced. Snap-in sensors should also have their rub-

ber insert replaced each time the sen-sor is removed from the valve hole.The inserts should be replaced just asa standard valve stem is today.

There is a new valve core in the serv-ice pack. Do I really need to replace it?

Every time a sensor is serviced, thevalve core should be replaced with thevalve in the service kit. The valve coreis nickel-plated to prevent galvaniccorrosion and to ensure integrity ofthe primary seal. To prevent galvaniccorrosion, never use a brass valve corewith an aluminum TPMS sensor.Instead, always use a nickel-platedvalve core with an aluminum-bodiedTPMS sensor.

What is the torque value required forthe nut?

Typical torque values for the basenuts on a TPMS valve stem range fromas low as 35 in.-lbs. of torque to asmuch as 80 in.-lbs. of torque. That’squite a range. Thisdoesn’t mean thatany torque valuewithin this range isacceptable. It meansthat the torquespecifications forthe base nut on onevehicle might re -quire 44 in.-lbs.,another might re -quire exactly 62 in.-lbs., yet anothermight specify exact-ly 71 in.-lbs., and soon. Don’t guess.Look up the torquespecifications forthe vehicle you’reservicing to makesure you use thecorrect torque.

Why should thenut be replacedevery time a sen-sor is serviced?

The nut is madeof a softer metalthan the stem, so itwill be damaged –

not the sensor – if it’s overtightened.The material of choice is typically alu-minum. If the nut is over-tightened, itwill develop hairline cracks.

Will tire sealants damage a TPMSsensor?

Some tire manufacturers and TPMSsensor manufacturers do not supportthe use of tire sealants, while some tiresealant makers claim that there is nocause for concern. Still, most will saythat the use of any liquid or tire sealantinjected into tires equipped with TPMSsensors is not recommended and maycause the tire pressure sensors to mal-function. One manufacturer of sealantsstates: “…sealant may come in contactwith the sensor in a way that rendersthe sensor temporarily inoperable untilit’s properly cleaned, inspected and re-installed by a tire care professional.”

But, the producer also states that ifthe sealant is water-based, it will cleanup with no adverse effects. TR

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The U.S. Occupational Safety& Health Administration(OSHA) has issued new pro-

cedure standards that should belearned and considered by thoseindividuals who mount, demountand inflate commercial truck tires.

An inflated tire and wheel can bevery dangerous if misused or wornout. These standards (No. 29, CFRPat 1910.177) should be reviewedextensively with new dealershipemployees. It is very important thatthese standards are reviewed on aregular basis, not just during thefirst week after hiring the new em -ployee.

Training on these OSHA standardsmust include both textbook workand a full demonstration that theemployee can perform the followingkey procedures:

• Tire mount/demount and infla-tion/deflation

• Wheel inspection• Using restraining devices• Handling of wheels• Inflating tires when mounted on

a vehicle• Installing and removing wheels

from vehicles• Where to stand (to remain out-

side of air blast trajectory) duringand after inflating a tire

Demounting TiresRestraining devices – more com-

monly called “safety cages” – are avery important aspect of the OSHArules when it comes to inflatingtires. These safety cages must beinspected on a daily basis to ensurethere is no cracking or corrosion,which can reduce their effectivenessif a tire/wheel assembly comes apartduring the inflation process. Thesesafety cages must never be bolted tothe floor.

Tires must be completely deflatedprior to demounting. Removing thevalve core is required to ensure com -plete deflation. When you demounta single-piece wheel, it should al -ways be done from the narrow ledgeside of the wheel.

Wheels must be closely inspected

before a tire is mounted. You arelooking for rust, cracks or bent rimflanges. The bead seat areas shouldbe thoroughly cleaned.

Mounting TiresOf course, you must verify that

the wheel size is appropriate for thespecific tire, and damaged or leakyvalve stems must be replaced.

A non-flammable certified lubri-cant will ease mounting and elimi-

nate tire damage; apply it to bothtire beads and the bead seat areas tomake mounting as easy as possible.Tires going on steel wheels shouldbe mounted from the narrow ledgeside of the rim. When a tire chang-ing machine is used, the tire mustbe inflated only to the minimum

pressure necessary to get the tirebead into the rim flange.

A tire safety cage must always beused when inflating a commercialtruck tire. The only exception iswhen the wheel is bolted on a vehi-cle while being inflated. It is criticalthat the person inflating the tirestay out of the wheel and air blasttrajectory during the inflationprocess. Always use a clip-on airchuck with enough hose to ensure

Al CohnContributing Editor

It is critical that the person inflating the tireshould stay out of the wheel and air blast trajectory during the inflation process.

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NEW STANDARDSFollowing OSHA Truck Tire Mount, Demount and Inflation Procedures

It is vital to train commercial tire service techs on the correct procedures when it comes to mounting, demounting and inflating tires; OSHA standards are a good starting point.

that the tire tech stands completelyclear and away from the inflatingtire.

It is permissible to inflate a tire ona vehicle providing the tire has morethan 80% of the recommended tirepressure. As with inflating in a safetycage, make sure that a clip-on airchuck and ample air line can allowtire techs to stand clear from the tireassembly.

Other ConsiderationsProper techniques for vehicle jack-

ing and lifting (when changing tireson vehicles) are not included as partof OSHA standards, but are veryimportant when it comes to safetyand should also be reviewed on a reg-ular basis. Every year there are manyinjuries associated with improperjacking and lifting of a commercialvehicle.

The two types of lifting devices forcommercial vehicles are hydraulicjacks and air-over-hydraulic jacks.Hydraulic jacks do require com-pressed air. The advantage in thesedevices is that they are very portableand come in just about any height toaccommodate nearly every type ofcommercial vehicle.

Air-over-hydraulic jacks also re -quire compressed air, also are highlyportable, and also come with differentheight adapters to accommodate trac-tors and trailers.

The most critical item in the pro -cess is for the technician to ensurethat the lifting capacity of the deviceis greater than then weight of the axlebeing lifted. The jack should alwaysbe inspected to make sure it is ingood working order with no damage.Jack stands are designed to supportthe weight of the vehicle; neither jackstyle is designed to support vehicleweight, only lift it.

Jack stands must have a ratedcapacity greater than the axle beinglifted. If you are lifting an entire axle,then two jack stands are required,one on each end of the axle. Jackstands all must have a mechanicallocking pin to prevent accidentalvehicle lowering.

When it comes to lifting, one verycommon mistake is that the groundunder the axle was not inspected toensure it is firm and level prior to lift-ing the vehicle. If the ground is softand/or uneven, then it is time tomove the vehicle to a better location.You certainly don’t want the vehiclesinking into soft ground during thisprocess.

Once you do find a suitable loca-tion, the vehicle must be securedusing wheel chocks to ensure it can-not move forwards or backwards. Theparking brakes also should be app -lied.

It also is very important to ensurethe jacks and jack stands are placeddirectly under the axle beam/tube.Never place the jacks on the U-bolts,which can be damaged and makefuture spring replacement a lot moredifficult. In addition, the area on theU-bolt is very small and placing ajack in this area could pose a safetyhazard.

After the tire has been raised aboutan inch off the ground, a jack standmust be placed directly under theaxle. Then, release the jack so theload is completely supported by thejack stands. Never crawl under orwork on a vehicle unless it is sup-ported by the jack stand.

Tire air pressure should bechecked prior to removing the tireassembly from the vehicle with a cal-ibrated gauge. If the measured tirepressure is 80% or less of the fleetpressure specification, then the tiremust be completely deflated prior toremoval from the vehicle.

An impact wrench can be used toloosen each wheel fastener. After thefasteners have been removed, thewheels should be removed carefullyso as not to damage the threads onthe studs.

Following the correct procedureswhen it comes to mounting, de-mounting and inflating tires – bothon and off a vehicle – will ensure thateveryone remains safe and free frominjury. TR

C O M M E R C I A L



Bee Line The Bee Line Smart Balancer II wheel balancing system is designed to sim-plify the process of on-the-vehicle wheel balancing for light- and heavy-dutytrucks. According to the company, the unit incorporates a sophisticated, yetsimple to operate computerized measurement system to measure the amountof imbalance in a rotating tire/wheel and calculate the proper location andamount of weight to be applied to solve the problem. Balancing the entirewheel assembly provides a far more accurate balance, Bee Line added.beeline-co.comRapid Response: www.TRRapidResponse.com/40152 Or call 800-928-1184 – Ext. 40152

TIRE AND WHEEL BALANCERSEffortlessness, accuracy and speed are key features of the latest wheel balancers. In our busy,

multitasking world, shop owners need equipment that is easy to use and easy to teach. Quick andaccurate results are essential to getting customers back up and running in the timely fashion theydemand. These latest systems promise a smarter, simpler way to balance.

PRODUCT Spotlight

BendPakThe RangerProductsDST-2420wheel balancerfeatures thecompany’sDirect-Axis drivesystem andmulti-directionalquartz piezo-electric loadsensors to cal-culate the exactweight neededto achieve opti-mal balance within a hundredth of an ounce. According to themaker, a single digital rotation encoder measures both longitudinal,transversal and shear effects for multi-directional force unbalancedetection. These sensors are extremely sensitive and offer superi-or long-term stability. LED rolling wheel indicators show weightpositions as the wheel rolls to top-dead center, and the wheelgraphic interface touch panel simplifies speed entry of wheel datawhile guiding technicians through balancing procedures. bendpak.com Rapid Response: www.TRRapidResponse.com/40150Or call 800-928-1184 – Ext. 40150


Hennessy IndustriesHennessy Industries has added the 6450-2D to its Coats lineof Direct-Driveheavy-duty bal-ancers. The 6450-2D offers provendurability, fast cycletimes and highaccuracy through awide range ofwheels, the compa-ny said. Themachine featuresDual CalibrationSoftware, whichenhances the autoand light-truckapplications on the6450 platform. Thenew balancer also includes: two-parameter auto data entry systemfor clip weight and three-parameter for Tape-A-Weight; two-inch(51mm) heavy-duty arbor on Coats’ Direct-Drive motor; up to 500-pound and 52-inch wheel capacity; and laser-guided direct Tape-A-Weight placement, according to Hennessy. ammcoats.com Rapid Response: www.TRRapidResponse.com/40151Or call 800-928-1184 – Ext. 40151


HunterThe Road Force Touch by Hunter producesexceptional balancing results and performs aroad force test faster than a traditional wheelbalancer performs a typical balance, the com-pany said. The automated road force test findshidden causes of vibration and pulls to enhancethe quality of service and generate more profitopportunities without adding valuable servicetime. Also featured is a new touchscreen inter-face that simplifies operation and shortens thelearning curve for new technicians, according toHunter. Live 3D graphics and animations dis-play real-time wheel conditions and illustrateeasy-to-understand instructions to resolvevibration and pull problems.hunter.com Rapid Response: www.TRRapidResponse.com/40153 Or call 800-928-1184 – Ext. 40153

Mechatronics Engineering Mechatronics Engineering LLC recently introduced its new,advanced balancing technology called SPBU (self-propelled balanc-ing unit). The SPBU eliminates all external AC or DC motors, directdrive AC motors, gears, power management boards, pulleys, spin-dles, drive-belts, wheel brake systems (using resistors or othermethods) and complex wiring systems, the maker said. Theabsence of these components eliminates all maintenance issuesfor owners and operators of wheel balancers equipped with SPBU,since it incorporates proprietary technologies that allow forextremely fast floor-to-floor times for any balance, the companyadded. librautotech.comRapid Response: www.TRRapidResponse.com/40154 Or call 800-928-1184 – Ext. 40154

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Alignment Check Hunter said its Quick Check, a new sys-tem to help better identify vehicles in needof an alignment, captures toe and cambermeasurements and produces printedresults in under a minute. The color-codedprintouts allow service writers to alert customers of misalignment issues.Configurations include a mobile system that can be set up in virtually anyshop space and a drive-thru system that works in the write-up area.hunter.comRapid Response: www.TRRapidResponse.com/40170 Or call 800-928-1184 – Ext. 40170

Disc Brake Pads A new series of QuietCast medium-duty premi-um disc brake pads are available from Bosch.According to the company, the pads aredesigned to give medium-duty vehicles superi-or braking performance. Features include stop-ping power, increased pad life, quiet stops, low dust and great pedal feel. boschusa.comRapid Response: www.TRRapidResponse.com/40171Or call 800-928-1184 – Ext. 40171

Race TireToyo said its new full-slick Toyo Proxes RS1 racing tire is designed to excelin dry braking and enduring closed course road racing, time attack, trackdays and high performance driving schools. Features include an advancedcasing for durability and stability at high speed. According to Toyo, the tirefeatures a reinforced sidewall to provide responsive handling in order tomaximize performance while minimizing lap times in dry weather condi-tions. The Proxes RS1 is available in the U.S. in four sizes: 245/640R18,285/650R18, 285/680R18 and 335/710R18. toyotires.comRapid Response: www.TRRapidResponse.com/40172Or call 800-928-1184 – Ext. 40172

Valve Capper Tool Ken-Tool launched the 29995ValveCapper tool to maintainair pressure on inner dualtruck tires. According to the maker, the tool makes it easy to remove tirevalve stem caps even on the most difficult to reach inner dual valve stems.It can quickly remove and reinstall valve cores from the valve stems.kentool.comRapid Response: www.TRRapidResponse.com/40173Or call 800-928-1184 – Ext. 40173

Crimping Plier The new OTC Crimpwell angled crimping plier (P/N 5912) is designed toeasily access broken, frayed and exposed wires in hard to reach locations.The angled design, developed by a hands-on service professional, keepsthe connector parallel to the pliers, improving the ability to ensure wire isproperly seated in the connector as well as securing a durable, robustcrimp, according to the maker. The crimping design accommodates softwire insulated or uninsulated – solid or stranded – in sizes 10-22 AWG.Additionally, a cutting feature is included for quicker preparation. otctools.comRapid Response: www.TRRapidResponse.com/40174Or call 800-928-1184 – Ext. 40174

Pair of UHP TiresFalken has two new models: Azenis FK453, whichthe tiremaker said has key fitments for sports carssuch as the Porsche 911 Carrera and LamborghiniGallardo; and Azenis FK453CC, for performanceCUVs such as the Porsche Cayenne and BMW X5.Features include high tensile strength, built to excelin high speed handling conditions; asymmetrictread design with a silica-enriched compound formore surface contact with the road; and a 300AAAUTQG rating. The FK453 is available in sizes rang-ing from 17- to 22-inch wheel diameters, while the FK453CC is availablein sizes ranging from 17- to 20-inch wheel diameters.falkentire.comRapid Response: www.TRRapidResponse.com/40175Or call 800-928-1184 – Ext. 40175


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announcement or on the listing below. >>>OR VISIT www.TRRapidResponse.com and click on the company you want info from! >>>OR click on the Tire Review Rapid Response icon on our Web site at www.tirereview.com!


AAPEX 69 40069 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40069Advics 61 40061 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40061Raybestos Brakes 30 40030 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40030Raybestos Brakes 31 40031 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40031Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper 25 40025 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40025Akebono Corp. 63 40063 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40063Akebono Corp. 50 40050 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40050Alloy Wheel Repair Specialists 74 40074 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40074American Car Care Centers 11 40011 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40011American Car Care Centers 37 40037 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40037American Tire Distributors 17 40017 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40017Bartec USA 67 40067 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40067Bendpak 21 40021 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40021Bridgestone Americas 33 40033 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40033CIMS Inc. 52 40052 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40052Double Coin Tire/CMA 46 40046 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40046Continental Tire 45 40045 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40045DIRECTV 40-41 40041 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40041Falken Tire 55 40055 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40055Gardner Denver 32 40032 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40032Giti Tire 51 40051 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40051Hankook Tire 5 40005 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40005Hennessy Industries 29 40029 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40029IMI 54 40054 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40054K&M Tire 27 40023 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40023Kenda Rubber Cover 4 40082 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40082Kumho Tire 13 40013 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40013Launch Tech USA 35 40035 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40035Myers Tire Supply 14 40014 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40014NAPA Cover 2 -1 40083 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40083Nexen Tire 53 40053 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40053Nitto Tire 3 40003 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40003Nitto Tire 9 40009 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40009Nucap Industries 70 40070 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40070O’Reilly Auto Parts 23 40027 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40027Perfect Equipment 58 40058 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40058Precision Instruments 44 40044 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40044Reliable International Exhibition & Services 59 40059 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40059Saf-Tee Siping/Grooving 75 40075 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40075SEMA Cover 3 40081 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40081Shandong Linglong Tire 43 40043 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40043Toyota 6-7 40007 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40007VMAC 73 40073 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40073Yokohama Tire 39 40039 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40039Zafco 57 40057 www.TRRapidResponse.com/40057

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the evaporator will ice up. That can’tbe good for the system.”

Tooner sat down at the shop com-puter and pulled up the A/C systeminformation from the GM repair man-uals. “Accordin’ to this, there’s anevaporator core temperature switchthat signals the PCM when to shutdown the compressor. But it don’t saywhat temperature it cuts in at.” Hepulled on his left ear. “All I know is,ya can’t run it this cold.”

Beanie climbed into the car and feltthe outlet temperature with his hand.“Hey, Toon, are you sure this is 23degrees? It doesn’t seem that cold tome.”

Tooner’s left hand began inchingtowards his large crescent wrench.“Are you trying to tell me that with allmy years of experience I don’t knowwhen an A/C system is blowin’ toocold?”

Basil jumped to Beanie’s rescue. “Mydear Tooner, since we’re all here, let’sdo a group check on the system pres-sures and see where they’re at.”

What we found was the low siderunning consistently at 30 psi, withthe high side topping out at 295 –right where the pressures should be ona hot summer’s day. But when Toonerpointed his electronic temperaturegauge at the vents again, it still read23 degrees.

Basil opened the bottom drawer ofhis tool cab and took out a shiny newplastic box. Handing it to Tooner, hesaid, “Here, try my temperature gauge.I bought it on sale last winter from BigStan’s Tool Van. It’s hardly been used.”He pointed at Tooner’s battered upelectronic tester that was at least 10years old. “No offense, but I thinkyour unit has seen better days.”

Sure enough, Basil’s gauge gave adifferent reading – the vent temps nowread 39.2 degrees. I slapped Tooner on

the shoulder. “Houston, it looks likewe don’t actually have a problem atall.”

In disgust, Tooner took his old tem-perature gauge and threw it in the trash.“I s’pose you’re gonna tell me there’s amoral to this story?”

“Try this on,” I said. “‘A faulty ther-mometer can get you into hot water.’ Isuggest you buy some flowers for yourwife on your way home tonight.”

Basil agreed. “Mabel hasn’t been giv-ing you the cold shoulder, Tooner. She’sbeen trying to make you healthier sothat she can have you around longer.”He shook his head. “Though for the lifeof me, I can’t imagine why.” TR

Rick Cogbill, a freelance writer and for-mer shop owner in Summerland, B.C., haswritten The Car Side for a variety of trademagazines for the past 14 years. “A FineDay for a Drive,” his first book based onthe characters from this column, is nowavailable for order at thecarside.com.

T H E C A R S I D E


(Continued from page 80)

COOL VIBESFaulty Reading Puts Repair Tech in Hot Water

Rick Cogbillaka Slim Shambles


VIE

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Iwas having a peaceful nap in myoffice chair when a horrendous noise nearly threw me to the

floor. Tooner’s hollering didn’t worryme as much as the large crescentwrench he was brandishing over hishead. Fortunately, Beanie can runfaster scared than Tooner can angry.

I found The Beanhiding behind a pileof old tires. “What’sthis all about?” Iwhispered.

“I-I don’t know,” hesqueaked. “Tooner’sgone nuts. All I didwas offer him a gra-nola bar and he lostit!”

“Hmm. I’d bettersee what’s going on.”

After sendingBeanie out for somedonuts, I brewed upa fresh pot of coffeeand called a staffmeeting.

“What’s the occa-sion?” muttered Tooner suspiciously,watching me add some French vanil-la flavoring to the coffee pot. “It’s notlike you to share yer private stash forno reason.”

“It’s Apprentice AppreciationWeek,” I replied. “Except I don’tthink you got the memo. Care to tellus what’s been eating you?”

He slouched down in his chair.“Aw, I’m sorry about losin’ it, Slim.An’ you too, Bean. I’m just worried‘bout how Mabel’s been acting lately– it feels like I’m gettin’ the coldshoulder.”

“Sounds like the home fires areburning low,” observed Basil. “Sowhat is it lately that you’ve done toannoy her?”

“I ain’t sure.” Tooner began count-

ing on his fingers. “Let’s see…I for-got to put the toilet seat down for aweek. An’ last Saturday I used one ofher dish towels to check the oil inmy truck.” He looked up suddenly.“D’ya think she’s ticked ‘cause I tookout half her azaleas when I cut thelawn on Sunday?”

I shook my head. “Nope. Mabel’s

used to that kind of stuff from you.”Basil agreed. “It has to be some-

thing else. Think harder.”But he drew a blank. Tooner has

his faults, but nothing his tough littlewife of 30 years can’t handle.

“How do you know she’s upset?”asked Beanie.

“D’ya think I don’t know my ownwife?” Tooner sneered. “Believe me,Bean, I’m an expert on these things.When yer woman starts actin’ cool,you know it!”

I wasn’t buying Tooner’s claim thathe could understand women; we’dseen him in action for far too long.“Why don’t you tell us exactly howMabel’s been acting lately.”

He sighed. “Well, last week atbreakfast she poured me grapefruit

juice instead of coffee. Next, sheburned my favorite slippers andbought me new ones – kin ya believethat?” He shook his head. “Whatreally worries me is what happenedlast night…”

“Whoa there, Tooner!” I interrupt-ed. “I don’t know if Beanie’s oldenough for those kind of details.”

Beanie’s eyes werelike saucers. “Go on,Toon! What hap-pened next?”

Tooner glared at meand continued. “As Iwas sayin’, last nightMabel turned off theTV right in the mid-dle of the playoffs –and said we weregoing for a walk!” Heburied his face in hishands and groaned. “Idon’t even know whoI’m married to any-more…she used toreally care about me.”

We knew Toonerwas overreacting, but couldn’t con-vince him otherwise. By coincidence,the next job on the board only addedto his troubles.

The 2005 Pontiac Vibe had comein for an inoperative A/C system,which wasn’t surprising, since thecompressor had packed it in. Toonergot to work and replaced the com-pressor, accumulator and the con-denser, and then recharged the sys-tem before going on a road test. Hereturned wearing a big scowl.

“I don’t get it,” he muttered. “It’sblowin’ 23 degrees outta the vents.How come everything I touch thesedays turns frosty?”

Beanie whistled. “23 degrees?That’s below freezing, which means

(Continued on page 79)

Tire review, 7.2012

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