AUGUST 2009 - Autosphere · ing Lottridge, auctioned off their hair and shaved their heads. “We were hoping for $5,000, but we doubled that,” Lottridge said. The money went to

volume 6 / Number 4 / AUGUST 2009 / $4,95

w w w. a u t o s p h e r e . c a

PM

400

1410

5

Mike Bolduc

B-Line Tire & Auto Supply

Offering MoreStaying Ahead

by

C A L e n d A r

Atlas Tire Wholesale Inc.

WEST6290 SHAWSON DRIVEMISSISSAUGA, ON L5T 1H5

TELFAX

(905) 670-9791(905) 670-0581

EAST140 McLEVIN AVE., # 6 & 7

SCARBOROUGH, ON M1B 3V1

TELFAX

(416) 292-8202(416) 292-8177

[email protected]

IDEAL FITMENT FOR:

AcuraHonda Nissan

ToyotaMazda

P 1 8 5 /6 5 R 1 5 8 6 H

P 1 9 5 /6 5 R 1 5 8 9 H

P 2 0 5 /6 5 R 1 5 9 2 H

P 1 9 5 /6 0 R 1 5 8 7 H

P 2 0 5 /6 0 R 1 5 9 0 H

P 2 0 5 /6 0 R 1 6 9 1 H

P 2 0 5 /6 0 R 1 6 9 1 V

P 2 1 5 /6 0 R 1 6 9 4 V

2 0 5 /5 5 R 1 6 9 1 H

2 1 5 /5 5 R 1 7 9 4 V

2 0 5 /5 0 R 1 7 8 9 V

2 1 5 /5 0 R 1 7 X L 9 5 V

2 2 5 /5 0 R 1 7 9 4 V

2 0 5 /4 5 R 1 7 8 4 V

2 1 5 /4 5 R 1 7 X L 9 1 H

2 2 5 /4 5 R 1 7 9 1 H

2 3 5 /4 5 R 1 7 9 4 H

S A M P L E S I Z E S

� Silica to boost wet grip

� Wider footprint to improve cornering

� Advanced directional tread pattern for rapid water evacuation

� Sophisticated and sporty looks

� Veri-pitch design for a quiet ride

� Uni-T Technology

� 80,000 Kilometer Treadwear Limited Warranty

POTENZA G019 GRID

Purchase via your Car Manufacturer / Bridgestone National Account Programs

TIRE DEALERS:

Competitive prices on direct billing.

ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT & RUN-FLAT TIRES:

We maintain a large and comprehensive inventory to meet all your requirements.

NATIONWIDE SERVICE:

Competitive shipping across Canada. E-mail us for our freight policy and toll free

contact numbers.

B2B WEBSITE - VIEW INVENTORY AND PLACE ORDERS:

Visit www.tiredistribution.com and register today.

YOUR SOURCE FOR BRIDGESTONE

Additional Sizes Available

Limited Treadwear Warranty

Limited duration replacement with comparable new Bridgestone tire at pro-rated cost if

warranted kilometers not attained; actual tread life may vary. Certain limitations and

restrictions apply. See authorised retailer for full warranty details before you purchase.

CAR DEALERS:

All Season Performance

Subaru

6 PREMA Canada Convention Products and Partnerships

10 What Happens When Your Workers Aren’t Working? Maybe It Isn’t the Employee – Maybe It’s You

12 Management Recruit for the Recovery

14 B-Line Tire & Auto Supply: Staying Ahead by Offering More Training and Support Are as Important as Product Sales

16 Retreading Renew the Best Products

18 A New Debate How Long Does a Truck Tire Last?

19 New Corporate Headquarters O.K. Tire Celebrates the Future

20 Industry Leaders Take a Number

C A L e n d A r

August 2009

August 29-30NASCAR • NAPA Auto Parts 200Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, MontrealH 514-397-0007H www.circuitgilllesvilleneuve.ca

September 2009

September 1-7World Skills Calgary 2009H Leanne Blackborow [email protected] www.worldskills2009.com

September 9AIA Manitoba div. Fall Classic Golf TournamentLasalle, ManitobaH www.aiacanada.com

September 10AIA Atlantic div. • 42nd Annual Golf Tournament and BanquetMoncton Golf & Country Club, Riverview, NBH Marc Cloutier 506-850-4072H [email protected] www.aiacanada.com

September 10AIA Alberta div. • Rick Gibson Memorial Fall Classic Golf TournamentRaven Crest Golf Course, Edmonton, AlbertaH Casey Wnuk 780-413-4610H www.aiacanada.com

October 2009

October 9AIA BC div. • Annual Charity Golf TournamentWestwood Plateau Golf & Country Club, Coquitlam, BCH Wayne Jangula 604-507-7191H [email protected] www.aiacanada.com

October 13-18Équip Auto 2009Parc d’expositions, Paris-Nord, FranceH www.equipauto.com

November 2009

November 3-5AAPEX Show 2009Sands Expo Center, Las Vegas, NVH www.aapexshow.com

November 3-6SEMA ShowLas Vegas Convention, Center, Las Vegas, NVH www.semashow.com

November 3AIA Canada • Canada Night 2009Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, NVH Thérèse Santostefano 1-800-808-2920, ext. 225 H [email protected] www.aiacanada.com

f e AT u r e S

14 16 19

Contents August 2009

C O V e r S T O r Y

r e G u L A r S

4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Editorial

8, 9, 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Industry News

16, 17, 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Commercial Tires

22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Advertisers

Atlas Tire Wholesale Inc.

WEST6290 SHAWSON DRIVEMISSISSAUGA, ON L5T 1H5

TELFAX

(905) 670-9791(905) 670-0581

EAST140 McLEVIN AVE., # 6 & 7

SCARBOROUGH, ON M1B 3V1

TELFAX

(416) 292-8202(416) 292-8177

[email protected]

IDEAL FITMENT FOR:

AcuraHonda Nissan

ToyotaMazda

P 1 8 5 /6 5 R 1 5 8 6 H

P 1 9 5 /6 5 R 1 5 8 9 H

P 2 0 5 /6 5 R 1 5 9 2 H

P 1 9 5 /6 0 R 1 5 8 7 H

P 2 0 5 /6 0 R 1 5 9 0 H

P 2 0 5 /6 0 R 1 6 9 1 H

P 2 0 5 /6 0 R 1 6 9 1 V

P 2 1 5 /6 0 R 1 6 9 4 V

2 0 5 /5 5 R 1 6 9 1 H

2 1 5 /5 5 R 1 7 9 4 V

2 0 5 /5 0 R 1 7 8 9 V

2 1 5 /5 0 R 1 7 X L 9 5 V

2 2 5 /5 0 R 1 7 9 4 V

2 0 5 /4 5 R 1 7 8 4 V

2 1 5 /4 5 R 1 7 X L 9 1 H

2 2 5 /4 5 R 1 7 9 1 H

2 3 5 /4 5 R 1 7 9 4 H

S A M P L E S I Z E S

� Silica to boost wet grip

� Wider footprint to improve cornering

� Advanced directional tread pattern for rapid water evacuation

� Sophisticated and sporty looks

� Veri-pitch design for a quiet ride

� Uni-T Technology

� 80,000 Kilometer Treadwear Limited Warranty

POTENZA G019 GRID

Purchase via your Car Manufacturer / Bridgestone National Account Programs

TIRE DEALERS:

Competitive prices on direct billing.

ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT & RUN-FLAT TIRES:

We maintain a large and comprehensive inventory to meet all your requirements.

NATIONWIDE SERVICE:

Competitive shipping across Canada. E-mail us for our freight policy and toll free

contact numbers.

B2B WEBSITE - VIEW INVENTORY AND PLACE ORDERS:

Visit www.tiredistribution.com and register today.

YOUR SOURCE FOR BRIDGESTONE

Additional Sizes Available

Limited Treadwear Warranty

Limited duration replacement with comparable new Bridgestone tire at pro-rated cost if

warranted kilometers not attained; actual tread life may vary. Certain limitations and

restrictions apply. See authorised retailer for full warranty details before you purchase.

CAR DEALERS:

All Season Performance

Subaru

| www.autosphere.ca | August 2009 | Tire News | 3

Rémy L. Rousseau [email protected]

Publisher Rémy L. Rousseau

Contributing Editors Leanne Blackborow, Shirley Brown, Kara Cunningham, Éric Descarries, Jack Kazmierski, Jil McIntosh

Copy Editor Shirley Brown [email protected]

Production Olivier Rhême [email protected] Valérie St-Cyr [email protected]

Circulation Manager Nancy Belleville [email protected]

Administration Wendy Allain [email protected] Marie-Hélène Côté [email protected]

Advertising Nathalie Plouffe 416-925-5665 [email protected]

Luc Champagne 514-945-1299 [email protected]

Réjean A . Rousseau 450-649-9007 [email protected]

Subscription 1 year: $19.95 2 years: $34.95 3 years: $49.95

Published by Publications Rousseau 2938, terrasse Abénaquis Longueuil QC, J4M 2B3 T: 450-448-2220 F: 450-448-1041 [email protected] www.autosphere.ca

Tire News Magazine is dedicated to serving the business interests of the Canadian tire industry. It is published seven times a year by Publications Rousseau & Associés Inc., a member of AIA Canada.

Material in Tire News Magazine may not be reproduced in any form without written consent from the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertising and disclaims all responsibilities for claims or statements made by its advertisers or independent columnists. All facts, opinions and statements appearing within this publication are those of the writers and editors themselves, and are in no way to be construed as statements, positions or endorsements by Publications Rousseau & Associés Inc.

Publications Mail Agreement 40014105. Return undelivrable Canadian addresses to Publications Rousseau / Circulation Department, 2938 terrasse Abenaquis, suite 110, Longueuil, QC J4M 2B3

ISSN 1710-4211

PRINTED IN CANADA

T hat’s always a wise precaution and you know your customers rely on you to look after their tire needs. But you can also

sell them more services that are advantageous to them—this way, you can work better with your customers and also benefit yourself.

If a client comes in for a tire check, that’s the time to suggest other items and get it all done at once. Again, this is beneficial to both you and the customer. If you have an overabun-dance of customers coming in at all hours, you are not going to be able to service them as well as you should.

Suggest a safety check or…At the customer’s appointment, talk over what he wants done. At that time, wouldn’t it be a good idea to suggest that he have a safety check, a 100,000 km check, or a spring/fall/winter/summer check up?

Extras Count

Sell More Than Just Tires… Your customer has a date to see

you sometime in September or

October to have the tires checked

or changed before winter arrives.

Tires are definitely a safety item, but not the only one that your technician can take a look at. What about wheel alignment—is it lined up correctly so the tires won’t wear on one side, or won’t pull to one side or the other instead of going straight down the road?

Suspension/directional components are other items that can be seen clearly. Check for any sign of wear or rub. How about the boots—are they cracked or worn? And, of course, then there are brakes!

Anything to do with safety could be looked at by your technicians. Get ahead of the game; get on the right side of your customers. Go the extra mile for them, let them know you care and you will have customers well into the future.

Change the tires… plus!Take a close look at the “dentist approach” and pick up some hints from the way they run their business. You know that when you visit your dentist, have the work done, and go back to the front desk, the receptionist will be booking you in for the next appointment right then and there! You can apply this method to your business… book your customer’s next appointment well in advance. Better business for you, safer for your customer.

To get further ahead in your business and to “tie” your customer to you, don’t just change the tires! Make those extra services happen and have happy, satisfied customers forever.

We’ve got some great news, new products, happenings, pictorials and lots more on our dy-namic website. Check out www.autosphere.ca… you’ll like it!

EditOriAl

PEFC/01-31-106

Certifié PEFC

Ce produit imprimé est issu de forêts gérées durablement et de sources contrôlées

www.pefc.org 4 | Tire News | August 2009 | www.autosphere.ca |

I t went very well, as it does every year,” said Dave Lottridge, president of PREMA Canada. “As a supplier to

the tire industry, we want to get the mes-sage out on the products and training we provide. It’s important that our customers are educated on our products and their use. If they are educated, they can give

their customers the best opportunity to solve their problems.”

The convention attracted 45 distributors, with 23 tables set up at the trade show. One of the highlights was the “Distributor Olympics,” a team-building event that also raised money for charity, and which

went even further when five men, includ-ing Lottridge, auctioned off their hair and shaved their heads. “We were hoping for $5,000, but we doubled that,” Lottridge said. The money went to the Children’s Wish Foundation.

PreMA Canada Convention

Products and PartnershipsEarly in June, PrEMA Canada held its annual institute of technology, a four-day convention of

seminars, training, team-building and a trade show, along with some relaxation in the form of

golf and tours. it was all headquartered at Glendale College in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

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The PREMA Convention participants

Rebecca Maus and Sharon Elphick, Registered Insurance Brokers with Ackert Insurance Brokers

Rock Tyson, director of Marketing and Sales

for Ken-Tool

Gary Nichols, Canada and U.S. rep for Checkpoint

Peter Gelinas, District Sales manager, and Lisa McDonald of Ingersoll Rand

Dave Lottridge with a list of participating companies An overview of the trade fairMark Aiken, vice president Sales & Marketing, and Anthony Arless, Sales & Service Representative,

of Plombco

Glenn Dickinson, Greg Klatt, Dave Lottridge, Larry Ciancone, and Ken Zunti raised money for charity by shaving their heads.

6 | Tire News | August 2009 | www.autosphere.ca |

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Goodyear to Cut Consumer Tire Production in France

Goodyear tire & rubber Co. announced it would discontinue consumer tire produc-tion at one of the plants in Amiens, France. it’s part of the strategy to reduce high-cost manufacturing capacity globally.

“this action is a result of the plant’s un-competitive costs. reaching a union agree-ment to modernize the operation proved impossible,” said Serge lussier, Goodyear’s Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) vice president of manufacturing. “due to high costs and weak industry demand, the con-sumer tires produced there are uncompetitive in the marketplace.”

this strategy should be complete by the third quarter of 2010, resulting in a reduc-tion of about approximately 820 of the 1,200 positions at the plant, which also produces farm tires.

Goodyear also said that it will explore the divestiture of its farm tire businesses in Eur-ope, the Middle East, Africa (EMEA) and lat-in America. Sales by the farm tire businesses are not material to the company’s net sales.

Toyo Adds Several New Sizes to Its Car And Truck Tire Lines

toyo tires recently announced many new sizes. the recently released Extensa A/S, the symmetric, non-directional all-season tire for passenger cars and minivans, is now available in 46 sizes fitting wheels from 13- to 17-inch-es in diameter, while the Versado lX featuring the innovative Silent Wall design includes five new sizes for 15- to 18-inch wheels. One size, the 225/50r17, will fit 23 different American, European, and Japanese cars. in addition, the Proxes 4 all-season ultra-high performance tire with unique W-shaped tread is now available in 235/30Zr20, and the high silica Proxes t1r line of ultra-high performance tires now includes 345/25Zr20 and 285/25Zr22 sizes.

For light trucks, toyo now offers four new sizes of Open Country M/t off-road tires:

lt315/70r18 (36X13.00r18), lt315/60r20 (35X12.50r20), 3 3 X 1 2 . 5 0 r 2 2 lt, a n d 35X12.50/70r17. the popu-lar Open country H/t (highway tire) is available in a new size for full-size pickup trucks, the lt285/70r17. the newly intro-

duced Nissan Cube will be able to get OE replacement P195/60r15 and P195/rrr16 in the toyo A20 range. www.toyotires.com

Greater Fuel Efficiency Tire From Cooper

Cooper tire & rubber Co. announced that, to meet consumer demand for greater vehicle fuel efficiency, it has added its first low-roll-ing resistance tire line—the Cooper GFE (Greater Fuel Efficiency)—to its product portfolio.

the GFE utilizes ad-vanced design and ma-terials technology to maxi-mize fuel economy while providing excellent traction and treadwear. the touring tire is offered in 8 sizes targeted for fuel-efficient vehicles, but also includes popular broadline sizes. the tire showcases Cooper Energy return technology (CErt), a new innovative tread stock that features a unique silica technology married with a specialized polymer to provide very low-rolling resistance, while maintaining outstanding wet grip and long tread life.

its unique mold technology uses traction compensating sipes which increase in length as the tire wears. the interlocking action of the sipes helps provide more stable handling when the tire is new, then adds length to the biting edges throughout the life of the tire. this technology helps maintain wet and win-ter traction as the tread wears.

in addition, the GFE has a t speed rat-ing. the all-season design also employs a computer-enhanced, sound-quality system that optimizes the tread pattern to produce a quiet ride. the appearance of the GFE is enhanced by the use of engraved segmented molds. the molds use Cooper’s ventless tech-nology, which provides a clean, crisp, pre-mium appearance.

High Mileage TirePositioned for the classic im-

port market, Kumho’s Power Star delivers good mileage, even wear, low noise and improved wet handling and traction, the company says. ESCOt design tech-nology provides uniformity and performance, includ-ing enhanced resistance to aquaplaning. Among the suggested applications are the dodge Neon, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Kia Sephia, Nissan Sentra, Nissan Versa, toyota Corolla, toyota tercel, and Volk-swagen Golf. www.kumhotire.com

SEMA Targets Tire and Wheel Buyers for Its ’09 Show

the Specialty Equipment Market Associa-tion (SEMA) is trying to attract tire and wheel buyers to its annual SEMA Show in las Vegas from November 3 to 6. SEMA has identified 11,000 attendees as tire, wheel, and equip-ment buyers. to reach them, SEMA is send-ing email and direct mail to potential visitors as well as posting full-page colour ads in tire industry trade magazines. demographics show that one of eight buyer segments SEMA is targeting is wheel and tire oriented. Other segments include trucks, off-road and SUVs, racing and performance, hot rod and res-toration, mobile electronics, paint, body and equipment, powersports and utility vehicles, and restyling and car care accessories. SEMA is looking at 220,000 domestic and inter-national prospects in those categories. Ac-tually, buyers of those categories made up an attendance of 50,000 to 60,000 visitors during the last four shows.

Nominate Bridgestone Canadian Truck Hero

With the nomination deadline fast approach-ing for the Bridgestone Canadian truck Hero Award, Bridgestone Canada (BSCA) is urging members of the Canadian trucking industry to act before the September 30, 2009 deadline.

Nominate any trucker in Canada. the award program looks for trucking professionals who have gone beyond the call of duty to lend a helping hand to someone in need while on the road. All acts, no matter how big or small, are significant.

the recipient of this national award will re-ceive a cheque for $3,000, a specially-com-missioned trophy, and a two-day expense-paid trip for two to the toronto award ceremony in November in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Ontario trucking Association. BSCA will also make a $3,000 donation to the recipient’s charity of choice. the employer of the award recipient, along with a guest, will also receive an expense-paid trip to attend the award ceremony.

to nominate a professional truck driver who operates a truck with 14 wheels or more that has demonstrated courage, quick thinking, and integrity in the face of an emergency, visit www.truckhero.ca.

iNdUStrY NEWS

The Toyo Versado is now available in five new sizes.


Continental Expands Coverage for VDO Replacement TPMS Parts

Continental Commercial Vehicles & After-market (aftermarket supplier of VdO OE-en-gineered replacements parts), has expanded its aftermarket tPMS replacement parts pro-gram. the company now offers valve-type sensors, valveless sensors, wheel bands, and service kits for Acura, Audi, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, dodge, Ford, GMC, Hon-da, Hyundai, Jaguar, Jeep, KiA, land rover, lincoln, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mercury, Mitsubishi, Pontiac, Saturn, Suzuki, toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo applications.

New additions include a 433 MHz tPMS sensor for 2008-09 Chrysler models, ex-panded coverage for tPMS sensors and ser-vice kits for Hyundai and KiA and sensors for toyota SUVs and trucks. the Continental tPMS replacement line now includes over 45 part numbers for sensors, service kits and wheel bands, with application coverage for more than 12 million vehicles.

Michelin Debuts Its Fuel-Efficient Energy Saver A/S Tire

Michelin North America re-cently debuted its Energy

Saver A/S tire, an all-season, fuel-efficient product that should reduce a vehicle’s CO 2 em i s s i on b y as much as 2,000 pounds. Michel in can achieve this by combining low rolling resistance with wet braking and all-season

performance. this new tire is slated for popu-

lar production and hybrid vehicles and it will be available

in these sizes: P215/60r16, P195/65r15, P195/60r15, and P185/65r15.


To find out if O.K. Tire is right for you, call the Franchise Department at 1-800-663-1749 or visit oktire.com

That’s the number of locations we have coast to coast, making us the largest independent tire retailer in Canada. There’s plenty of reason for that. Our owners are shareholders, which means they not only benefit from a large buying network but they also get support, business training and an inventory tailored to their needs. Not to mention the shared profits in a multi-million dollar business.

X 260.EVERYTHING YOU WANT YOUR BUSINESS TO BE.

TM The O.K. Tire mark is a trademark of O.K. Tire Stores Inc.

N o one comes to work for us because they want to be a failure, and no one comes in each morning with

the intention of doing a bad job,” Shay says. No situation is entirely black and white, and if your attitude is “my way or the highway,” it isn’t the best way to run your business, he warns.

When things aren’t going smoothly, try looking at your management style. If you’re not getting the most from your staff, here are some suggestions:

• Focus on things you can control. You can’t change the inherent attitude of people. Some will be adaptive, while others will never change their outlook. Spend your resources on things you can change.

• Learn to delegate. Hire people, and then let them do the job they were hired to do. At the same time, be sure to make the most of their skills. “Have you ever hired a Michelangelo, and then told him to paint the chapel grey?” Shay asks.

• Do employees know why they should do things? “Saying ‘because’ doesn’t work on anyone except children,” Shay says. Employees work better if they know how their tasks fit into the busi-ness overall.

• Do they know how to do things? Even experienced employees may run into tasks they’ve never done before. Don’t assume that people know how your company operates. Shay tells the story of a man in one of his seminars who didn’t know what “SKU” stood for. He’d grown up in the family busi-ness and heard it all his life, but no one had ever stopped and explained it to him.

• Do they know what they’re supposed to do? “There’s nothing wrong with priorities,” Shay says. “The most im-portant is someone in the store, then

phone calls, then merchandise, then cleaning, and so on. [In my store] we would see who could go the longest without saying a dumb phrase like ‘can I help you’—don’t ask, just help the customer. We’d make up lists—if you sell one item, what can you sell that complements it? And are your employ-ees telling customers about what’s new in the store?”

• Are you checking on the progress of a task? Don’t wait until a job is done. “Check the progress and stop the task if it’s going the wrong way. Give the in-struction and then keep coming back to make sure it’s done right. Don’t hover, but make sure the job doesn’t have to be torn down and restarted.”

• Watch for the “big hat.” This can be a real problem when employees decide what their job entails, and consider any other tasks to be beneath them or not their responsibility. Instead of doing whatever needs to be done, they put on the “big hat” and do something else to look busy.

“There is no need or place for hats in our business,” Shay says. “Whatever the task at hand, that is the hat that should be put on.” And that means the boss jumping in whenever some-thing must be done, too, which sets an example for everyone. That could be the change in your business that really turns it all around.

What Happens When Your Workers Aren’t Working?

Maybe It Isn’t the Employee – Maybe It’s YouWhen your workers aren’t working out, you’ll probably look at what the employee is doing wrong.

But maybe you’re the one who needs to consider a change, according to tom Shay, of business

solutions company Profits+Plus.


“

Tom Shay of Profits+Plus


The MICHELIN® HydroEdge® tire features:• Lasts longer. Lasts up to 53,000 km longer versus the competition1. MaxTouch Construction™ featuresa unique contact patch shape that evenly distributes the forces of acceleration, braking and cornering.

• Stops faster. Better braking — up to 4.25 meters shorter than the competition. A silica-based compoundand wide center-groove design create a sure-grip tread, helping MICHELIN® HydroEdge® tires stop up to4.25 meters shorter in wet weather conditions versus the competition2.

• Saves fuel. MICHELIN® HydroEdge® tires feature Green X® technology to help you save at the pump mileafter mile over the life of the tire3.1 Compared to Goodyear® Assurance products.2 Compared to Goodyear® Assurance ComforTred.3 Category defined as premium-priced S & T speed-rated passenger products.

Copyright © 2009 Michelin North America (Canada), Inc. All rights reserved. The “Michelin Man” is a registered trademark owned by Michelin North America, Inc.

More miles.More fuel efficiency.

More than what you pay for.With MICHELIN® HydroEdge® tires,

the value keeps rolling on mile after mile.

LONGEVITY

53,000KM LONGER1

STOPPING DISTANCE

4.25METERS SHORTER2

FUEL EFFICIENCY

#1#IN CATEGORY3

2212-395_ad_MoreMiles_TireNews_V2:8.125X10.875 7/29/09 2:08 PM Page 1

Management

Recruit for the RecoveryAttracting and retaining quality employees during a recession can position you for success and

market dominance the instant the economy rebounds.

M anaging human resources can be a challenge at the best of t imes. Factor in a recession

and attracting, hiring, and retaining good employees becomes even more complicated.

Recessions create an interesting dynam-ic between businesses, their existing staff, and potential employees. In order to manage your human resources effect-ively, you must understand this dynamic and use it to your advantage while keep-ing your eye on long-term success.

Existing employeesIt may sound counterintuitive, but HR experts recommend being honest with your employees during difficult times. The idea is to let your employees know how the company is doing so that if and when the need to make sacrifices arises they will be willing to make cuts and do without certain perks until the economy turns around.

Today, we’re hearing of employees will-ing to job-share or work four-day weeks in order to avoid layoffs. Some are doing without the perks and extras they have become accustomed to, realizing that every bit helps and that no one wins if the business goes under.

If finding ways to save money sounds like a daunting task, why not share the responsibility. Encourage everyone to pitch in and find ways to reduce expens-es, improve efficiencies and identify new revenue streams.

In a worst-case scenario, perhaps your staff will consider a cut in pay. This might be a viable option, especially if your pay rates are comparatively higher than the norm in your market. But before you make any cuts, or even suggest them to your employees, be sure to have a recovery strategy in place outlining how your employees will be rewarded for their sacrifices once the economy recovers and business picks up. You have to offer your staff a light at end of the belt-tightening tunnel if you expect them to buy into the idea of a slashed salary.

Avoid deceptionIf your company is doing well and cut-backs are not needed, why not let your staff know that their jobs are secure for the time being. This will reduce ru-mours and speculation, while fostering an atmosphere that’s more conducive to teamwork and a focused work effort. Instead of worrying about next month’s mortgage payment, your employees will be better able to focus their energies on the job at hand.

Lying to your staff and telling them that cutbacks are needed if in fact they are not will eventually backfire. You might think that a little fear will make everyone work a bit harder and that cutting back on certain rewards and perks will put a bit more money in your pocket, but this strategy is short lived.

Sooner or later your employees will figure out the truth and lose the trust and respect that’s needed for a healthy employee/

employer relationship. Moreover, you risk losing your key employees, who may decide to jump ship—either now, or when the economy recovers.

IncentivesJust having a job to wake up to during a recession is incentive enough for many employees to continue working diligent-ly. Regardless, HR experts recommend showering your employees with positive feedback whenever warranted with a hearty “job well done”, and non-cash incentives (ideal at a time when budgets are strained). This will boost morale and keep good employees motivated and focused.

Today, most employees value ongoing education, and research shows that com-panies who keep up with the training of their employees during tough times tend to weather economic storms better.

To limit the cost of training, consider cost-effective methods like online train-ing tools or splitting the cost of a guest speaker/instructor with a non-competing business.

Most economic downturns are relatively short lived, and there’s no reason to think this one is any different. Your goal should be to maintain key skills through ongoing training so as to prepare your staff for the inevitable turnaround in the economy. They must be ready to pounce on any and all business opportunities that will most certainly come your way once the reces-sion is over.


RecruitingWhile some busi-nesses insist on a complete hiring freeze during tough times, others prefer a more balanced ap-proach. A partial hiring freeze, for in-stance, might mean you freeze hiring for certain jobs while continuing to recruit individuals for key strategic positions.

At first, the idea of looking for new em-ployees at a time when everyone else is thinking about layoffs may sound absurd. But HR experts recommend recruiting during a recession because you never know who might send in a resume for you to review. Your next star employee may have just lost his job. The company he used to work for may have gone under and it’s only a matter of time before one of your competitors snatches him off the job market... unless you find him first.

Before you hire him, however, make sure he’s really as bright a star as he appears to be. HR experts warn against recruiting a problem. Rigorous and thorough testing of potential employees is a must, as is a thor-ough check of credentials and past experi-

ence. It’s not unusual

for job hunt-ers to embel l ish

their accomplishments, and the likelihood of them

stretching the truth increases during bad economic times.

If spending the time and money to find, test, and hire new employees gives your accountant heartburn, consider recruiting from within. Could you reorganize your staff in order to fill a vacancy? With a bit of training, could an existing employee take over a new responsibility? Offering great opportunities to existing staff mem-bers boosts morale, gives everyone a sense of forward momentum, and mini-mizes head-hunting expenses.

LayoffsWhether you find that genuine star em-ployee and need to make room for him in your organization, or whether you need to lay employees off for purely economic reasons, HR experts recommend you count the costs before you drop the axe.

First, consider your legal responsibilities in order to minimize your company’s risk

and exposure. Also, be sure that you have thoroughly defined the criteria you are using to determine who will stay with the company and who will go.

During times of economic uncertainty companies tend to focus on the short term and to forget (or take for granted) the skills and know-how their employees have developed and accumulated over the years. Without some of the more critical skills and know-how, day-to-day operations can grind to a halt.

So before you let anyone go, understand the core competencies your business needs in order to survive during the bad times and thrive during the good. Take a closer look at your staff, determine which employees possess the necessary skills and knowledge, and which ones are expendable (although still very valu-able). It may be a tough choice to make, but if cuts are necessary you’re better off choosing the lesser of all evils and cutting the least valuable of all your valuable employees.

Attracting, retaining and motivating em-ployees during tough times is key to long-term success. The current recession—like all others in recent history—will come to an end sooner or later. Your job now as an HR professional, or business owner, is to make sure you have the right people in place, ready to sprint into action when the economy begins to rebound in order to secure as much market share as pos-sible for your business.

Jack Kazmierski [email protected]


P R O F I L E

F rom his branches in Alberta and British Columbia, and his distribu-tors in Saskatchewan and Manitoba,

Bolduc’s company provides tire repair and installation supplies, equipment, and parts.

“I was a salesman, selling tire repair parts, and I went into business for myself in 1985,” he says. “I thought the idea of being self-employed was exciting and it seemed like a real challenge. A fellow had a Bowes franchise and he was retiring and selling his business, and we were able to strike a deal.”

Growing graduallyThe business grew gradually, and for the first year, Bolduc worked alone. His first employee was his brother Marc, who is still a sales representative for B-Line. “There’s a lot of family,” Bolduc says. “I work with my wife Debbie, who does the accounting, and my sons Mitchell and Maxwell work part-time. We’re working on getting the next generation taking over.”

The company now has 28 employees be-tween its two branches, and Bolduc says that staff turnover is low. “With most of our people, once they’re with us, we call them ‘lifers’,” he laughs. “We work in a partnership environment and we’re very team-oriented.”

Distributors are an advantageB-Line’s network of distributors is one of

its main advantages, Bolduc says. The company has gradually built up about 4,000 part numbers and carries about $2 million in inventory. “Because we’ve been in the business for a long time, we’re able to manage our inventory very carefully, and a lot of that just comes from experi-ence,” he says. “We know what products to stock more of, which to stock less, and we try to keep a good variety of items. With a lot of items, we try to stock one of each so that if somebody’s in a bind and you have a shop in a serious panic for something, we like to have it on the shelf so we have it right away.

“Collectively, we have a lot of buying power and we can source specialized products. If someone needs a hard to find item,

between the different branches we have, someone will have it. Everybody helps each other out when it comes to sourcing. If one branch is out of a product, we can get it shipped from another branch or directly to the customer, to get him looked after quickly. Typically, our competitors wouldn’t stock nearly the inventory levels that we have. They might have one or two branches across Canada, while we have several branches in western Canada with our associates, and we can draw on each others’ inventory and get that product much quicker.”

Sales are up year on yearIt’s important to take challenging eco-nomic times seriously, he says, but sales this year have been up over last year, and those were up from the year before. “We’ve managed to stay quite busy, and we would attribute that to pretty aggres-sive sales reps who work very hard to out-service our competitors and earn the business wherever they can. We also have to be very competitive price-wise, and we can get our procurement costs as low as possible through volume buying.”

But B-Line doesn’t just sell parts; it’s also about training, both at the company level and among its customers. Working with the Tire Industry Association and with vendors such as TECH, B-Line has held several training seminars on tire repair for its sales reps, who are then able to train their customers when they’re on call at the

B-Line Tire & Auto Supply: Staying Ahead by Offering More

Training and Support Are as Important as Product SalesWhen your company faces serious competition, the way to stay ahead is to offer your customers

something extra. Mike Bolduc, president of B-line tire & Auto Supply limited, takes advantage

of his extensive network of distributors to ensure that shops receive parts, supplies, and training

whenever they’re in need.


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P R O F I L E

shops. A classroom in the St. Albert loca-tion is used to train customers hands-on with TPMS, wheel service, mounting, and specialized items such as low-profile or run-flat tires.

Providing training to customers“We think it provides a much-needed ser-vice out there,” Bolduc says. “Staff turn-over [at customer shops] is higher than it used to be, and we’re finding a real need for training through our salespeople in the field. We provide the service to customers, and most times, at no charge.”

Given that the tire industry has become very specialized, Bolduc has dedicated certain people at his branch to specific requirements. “I have two guys at this branch and their key area of responsibility is TPMS,” he says. “They’re the go-to guys for this, and if any of the other salespeople have any questions, they’ll go to them. By having people focus in a specific area, we can stay on the leading edge of that area,

and have someone right up to date on it. I think that’s very important.

Matching equipment to customer needs“Years ago, when I first started, all the tire machines were basically the same, and you just went and bought one. Now you can have several types that do specific work, and you really have to ask questions and find out exactly what the customer needs, and try to match up his needs to the machine that will work best for his application.”

It’s unfortunate, Bolduc says, that some companies will import equipment from Europe or Asia, but without service sup-port or an inventory of parts for it. “It’s frustrating for these shops that buy it and when it’s down, they’re really stuck with a machine that doesn’t work,” he says. “When we sell a product, we do our best to stand behind it, even if the customer’s needs change. We had a shop that bought a very expensive machine

for doing custom low-profile tires and high-end aftermarket. The counterman was doing all that, and when he left, the business changed from high-end stuff to basic truck, and the owner was stuck with this machine. We were able to sell the machine for him, trade that off, and get him into the proper piece of equipment for his shop. He said that nobody else would have done that for him, but we made sure he got looked after.”

One-stop shoppingGetting parts to the customer quickly is essential, and B-Line carries much of its popular inventory on its fleet of trucks, without the need to return to the ware-house for items most likely to be required.

“If you’re dealing with us, you don’t have to buy your patches from one vendor and your equipment from another, and have someone else for servicing,” Bolduc says. “If you’re dealing with B-Line, you can deal with one source for all.”

NameB-Line Tire & Auto Supply Limited

Phone780-458-7619 or 1-888-458-8055

Size 17,000 square feet

Address

32 Rayborn Crescent, St. Albert, Alberta T8N 5B5

Fax 780-458-8055 Number of

employees:

14 (St. Albert), 14 (Burnaby, B.C.), plus distributors in Saskatchewan and ManitobaWebsite www.bline.ca

Brands sold TECH, Hunter, Corghi, CembEmail [email protected] Founded in 1985

COMPAnY SnAPSHOT


Marc Bolduc, Mike Bolduc, Tayller Bolduc and, on the forklift, richard dowling

Ken Kreklau Sean Curran Isaac White

B renno Benagl ia is Sales and Marketing director of Marangoni Pneumatici SPA, Italy, Marangoni

Group, Commercial & Industrial Tyre Division. In addition, he is president of Bipaver—the European Retread Manufacturers Association and vice president of AIRP, the Ital ian Tire Retreaders Association. We spoke with him regarding trends and challenges in the retreading business in Europe, Marangoni’s position, and new products and processes that are in the works.

What are the current trends in the European market?

BrEnno BEnAgLiA: In the new truck tire business, we have a general European situation that reveals the first five months’ numbers showing a reduction in truck tire sales of about 32%. In a few countries, this situation is even worse—countries like Spain (37%), Germany (31%), Italy (30%), and France (33%). Great Britain is less affected. If you move to Central European countries—Poland (21%), the Czech Republic (27%), Slovakia (40%), and Romania shows the largest reduction at 49%. As you can see, this is a tough situation.

Retreads are losing less, but in all coun-tries they, too, are in “the red.” We find that the average on European truck tire business is just less than 32% and the retreading business is between 15-20% less, depending on the country. This is a selling number, so if you consider the

sell-out it is probably better because these numbers are affected by two points which are very essential to understand the situation in Europe. All our transport fleets have at least 20-30% of trucks and trailers that are not new, switch the tires from one truck to the other, and so the consumption is reduced internally without buying tires. In addition, all the tire deal-ers want to reduce stock because money is scarce now and, of course, they are pur-chasing less from the tire manufacturers.

In putting all these problems together, you can see why the numbers are so bad, but we think we are at the end of this situation—tire stock has been used up and purchasing of new tires must begin again even at a lower level than before.

The truck industry in Europe on original equipment is losing about 60% of the vol-ume. So imagine, if you will, the pressure the tire producers have in their stock. All the tire manufacturers in Europe have cut down on production.

The one positive note here is that the Chinese imports have dropped down to less than half of the numbers of last year. This has come about because the people have discovered there is no mileage, no retreadibility, they must pay to scrap the casings whereas with the rest of the tires they give the casings back to the retreader or tire dealer to be retreaded. It’s no longer a question of price for the Chinese tires, the quality is very low and many people no longer want them.

retreading

Renew the Best ProductsEurope presents a far different picture on the tire front than Canada. Tire News was interested

in some of the retreading facts and why retreading is so prevalent there.

The Marangoni retread plant in Rovereto, Italy


COMMErCiAl tirESShirley Brown [email protected]

Concerning the retreading industry, we have noticed that the number of retreaders is declining—the bigger retreaders are taking the part of the market that the smaller retreaders used to have. Now, more and more tire producers are starting to introduce their own retreads in Europe, something that Michelin has always done.

Does this affect a company like Marangoni?

B.B.: Not at all! We are very happy that those who produce good products are promoting retreading. In Europe you have to remember that 40% of the replacement market is on retreads. In the Scandinavian countries, there is close to a 50% market share for retreads and other countries are mostly retreads. So we’re happy that the major tire producers are promoting retreading because this is a culture that we want the fleet to understand. It’s fair competition between good producers.

What is Maragoni’s strategic position on the challenges and trends?

B.B.: For the last few years, Marangoni has invested a lot of money in our direct retreading plant on new rubber to reduce the fuel consumption and emissions. In addition, we have really diversified our production to completely cover the range of utilization of all the fleets—specifically for the big mega trailer, the long distan-ces and off-road patterns. We have spent millions of dollars mainly on earthmover, big sizes production. All these efforts are in the hot cure process.

We have also put new people on the road to directly “follow the fleet” to work in cooperation with the tire dealers and in-directly, the fleet owners, to better under-stand the day-to-day problems, and to emphasize the fact that if they purchase

the good premium tire, they can have it retreaded. This is more economical than buying a cheap, budget product. To do this you have to frequent the fleets, and the problem we have with this is that in Europe we have very few big fleets in the southern part of our continent. For instance, the average in Italy for a fleet is 1.8 trucks per fleet! Our trucks are nothing like those in Canada—we are now talking about introducing trucks just over 25 metres long and 60 tonnes. They will only be used in some countries and we do not use dual tires like you do, we just have single tires on trailers. We need powerful engines in the Central European area where there are many mountains. The trend will be to have mega trailers in Europe but we must consider the roads—again not like your super highways, they change from country to country. In addi-tion, each country has a different style of tire. What they use in the United Kingdom is not usually used in Italy or France. It’s very complex. Only the trailers are using just about all the same size: 385/65R22.5 and now also 385/55R22.5.

What can you tell us about any new products or processes in retreading?

B.B.: We have two processes in Europe which are very popular—hot curing and precure*. The market is split into two big families—the big retreaders are more into hot cure and the smaller retreaders tend towards precure because of the cost. The hot cure process needs a plant of its own which is very expensive to build and thus will more likely be found in the larger European countries.

The designs for all tires come from Europe where they do the research. The lead-ing trend in Europe is Michelin and the retreading industry works with a majority of patterns similar to Michelin. As we at

Marangoni know, there is a large future in retreading and that is our prime busi-ness. The spirit of retreading is to serve better product which must be a premium recycled product. In Europe, we don’t have oil and raw materials, so we have to im-port everything. We need to keep our best products and to renew them, therefore retreading is a fantastic way to do this.

As you can see from the information we have presented here, Europe presents an entirely different tire picture than Canada or the United States. It’s very complex in Europe and in the retreading process that makes it more difficult to have the proper plant to serve all the various kinds of product. A complicated business—but a very challenging and interesting one.

* [In the precure process, the tread rubber used is molded and procured by the tread rubber manufacturer. The retreader selects the appropriate tread in strips or full circles of various designs, widths, and thicknesses. In the precure retread process, a cushion gum bonding layer is placed between the tread and the casing. The proper tread width is applied to the prepared casing in a straight and even fashion. Then the tire moves on to the curing chamber.]

Brenno Benaglia, Sales and Marketing director of Marangoni Pneumatici SPA, Italy, Marangoni Group,

Commercial & Industrial Tyre Division.



COMMErCiAl tirESÉric Descarries [email protected]

T hough there still is a lot to be proven concerning aging passenger tires, many truck owners and operators

have become seriously worried that the same could happen with their truck tires. Is it possible?

Truck tires are not built like light-duty vehicle tires. They are designed for vehicles of more than 10,000 pounds GVW and are constructed of a single steel body ply and 3 or 4 steel belts under the tread. They are designed to go hundreds of thousands of miles on their original tread. They then can be retreaded more than once before being considered as “scrap.” And yet…

According to Peggy Fisher, president of Tire Stamp and participant in tire-relat-ed activities within the Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC) in Heavy

Duty Trucking magazine, medium-duty and heavy-duty truck tires are designed to run 1 million miles (1.6 million kilo-metres) today. And since they can be retreaded several times, they could take up to 10 years or more to cover that much mileage.

Maintenance is the keyTire maintenance begins with proper air pressure. According to the Bandag Bandagram magazine and Guy Walenga, director of engineering, commercial tire

products and technologies at Bridgestone Americas, commercial truck tires should be professionally maintained with visual inspection and proper pressure. Actually, fleets have the responsibility to employ and train tire maintenance professional to inspect tires and maintain inflation pres-sure. In Heavy Duty Trucking, Walenga also added that the company he repre-sents has documented casings with 1 mil-lion miles (1.6 million kilometres) or more that were retreaded and repaired multiple times while in service.

What can shorten the life of a good truck tire? According to the Heavy Duty Trucking article sent to us by TRIB (Tire Retread &

Repair Information Bureau), improper repairs will shorten the life of a good truck tire. Improper repairs can often be seen in a puncture repair process. Bad repairs will let air or moisture penetrate the casing and cause corrosion within the body of the tire. Also, other than underinflation, some atmospheric conditions like expos-ure to UV radiation and ozone will take their toll on the rubber, but this takes time. Today’s tires include anti-oxidants and anti-ozonants to minimize exposure to air and sunlight. Still, storing truck tires out of direct sunlight is a recommended operation.

One of the most unusual recommenda-tions found in the article is to avoid steam cleaning, which can be harmful to tires if the nozzle is concentrated on one spot for a certain time. The damage can be even more severe if the nozzle is kept too close to the sidewall for more than 45 seconds. Steam can cause blisters.

Final wordAccording to the Bandag report, scrap tire surveys are routinely conducted by tire manufacturers to confirm and analyze the reasons for tire removal from ser-vice. These surveys have determined that properly maintained, inflated, repaired, and retreaded commercial truck tires can safely and reliably be kept in service for 10 years or even more.

A new debate

How Long Does a Truck Tire Last? recently, some car manufacturers have been warning their customers to be aware of older

tires—tires that might be six or seven years old. their main concern? that older tires might be

dry and that their rubber is prone to crack and fail at high speed. the age of a light vehicle tire

can be determined by the date of manufacture moulded onto the sidewall of the tire. it is part

of the dOt (department of transportation) identification number.

Truck tires are designed to last a long, long time.

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a 40,000 sq. ft. building in Port Kells, Langely, in March. “This new location pro-vided an opportunity to bring O.K. Tire’s corporate office staff into the same build-ing as the distribution centre,” says Sims.

Expansion, and potential for moreThe new distribution centre is 120,000 sq. ft. total—100,000 sq. ft. for the dis-tribution and warehouse facility, while 20,000 is reserved for office space. There is enough additional land to add 40,000 sq. ft. if necessary. O.K. Tire’s expansion is a reflection of the company’s vision to be the most professional national chain of retail stores out there.

“One of the initiatives we have been work-ing on is to improve our supply chain—to

O n June 10, 2009, O.K. Tire cele-brated the opening of its new cor-porate headquarters in Surrey, B.C.

with a home-coming event designed to welcome customers to the new facility. Guests included suppliers, storeowners, wholesale customers, friends, and local dignitaries.

The event included a facility tour and rib-bon cutting ceremony, followed by refresh-ments. Greg Sims, president of O.K. Tire, addressed the crowd of over a hundred, calling the event “a house warming party.” He described the new facility as a reflec-tion of how O.K. Tire sees the future.

“The new building helps us be profes-sional and support our customers across Western Canada,” says Sims. “We are for independent store owners. We are for serving our customers. We know who we want to be.”

This is the fourth building that O.K. Tire has occupied since its inception in 1953. O.K. Tire moved from its last location,

do a better job of getting the right prod-uct in the right place at the right time,” says Sims. “When we were looking at that, it became obvious that we had issues in Western Canada, so O.K. Tire embarked on a raft of changes.” The new building is a result of these changes.

“We realized that we would get the best results from building a large facility to both serve customers in B.C. and im-prove our service in the rest of Western Canada,” says Sims. “The new facility was a multi-million dollar project, so you have to be sure that you are doing the right thing. We have decided where we wanted to go as a company. So once you know where you want to go, it is easier to decide what you need to do. Everything we are doing is designed to help us become the company of our vision.”

Shipping hubSims explains that all shipping containers with products for Western Canada will come to this new facility. The containers will be broken down, and the facility will ship what is needed to the other Western Canadian distribution centres, as needed. This strategy will enable O.K. Tire to modify the amount and structure of their inventories in other distribution centres. “We will be able to turn our inventory more quickly and have better quality in-ventory for each area, which will allow us to do a better job,” says Sims.

In a time when economic uncertainties are causing so many organizations to look inward, O.K. Tire is looking outward. The new facility is a bold step forward.

new Corporate Headquarters

O.K. Tire Celebrates the FutureWith a brand new facility and a plan to offer customers more,

O.K. tire is realizing its vision.

Kara Cunningham [email protected]

O.K. Tire’s new corporate headquarters in Surrey, B.C.

Greg Sims, president and CEO, O.K. Tire, speaks to the crowd at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

“We decided where we want to go as a company. So once you know where you want go, it is easier to decide what you need to do.” – Greg Sims

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A s consumers, we have become ac-customed to waiting in line for ser-vice. We wait in line at the grocery

store, at the doctor’s office, and especially at the local coffee shop drive-through. But could we ever imagine lining up to buy tires?

The idea of lining up for tires is not new to clients of the Tire Depot located in Thornhill, Ontario. Owned and operated by Allan Bishop and his dedicated team of professionals, this shop is used to having people line up with number in hand, much like you’d see at the deli counter in the local grocery store.

“We are so busy that in the winter we have to put a number taker outside before we

open the doors because we have people lined up down the street before we open in the mornings,” says Michelle Kennedy, Operations manager for Tire Depot and Auto Service in Thornhill, Ontario.

Secret to successKennedy says her shop’s popularity and success is due in large part to the level of care customers enjoy. “First and foremost, we have a wonderful bunch of guys behind the counter who tend to everyone’s needs.

We have the same customers coming back year after year. It’s also a very family ori-ented business and we do our utmost to make customers feel welcome.”

The old adage about the surpassing value of word-of-mouth advertising certainly applies to this Tire Depot shop. “Our customers are very happy with our service and they tell their friends, who in turn tell others, and so forth,” Kennedy says. “I get emails all the time from people who were told by their friends to contact us for tires. We keep our customers satisfied, we offer great prices, and we don’t charge extra for installation, balance, valve or scrap disposal and they appreciate that.”

Industry Leaders

Take a NumberAny retailer would love to have people lining up out the door, eager to do business.

this shop is living that dream, with thoughts of further expansion on the horizon.

Jack Kazmierski [email protected]

“We have people lined up down

the street before we open in the

mornings.” – Michelle Kennedy


Michelle Kennedy with her team of customer care experts (L-R) Mark Aspinwall, Robert Page, Robert Tengelits

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RecognitionThis level of customer care does not go unnoticed. Tire Depot has won numerous awards over the years, including the coveted Consumers’ Choice Award for Business Excellence in 2009.

“It’s an honour to receive such an award from the general pub-lic and to be acknowledged for our service and commitment to customer satisfaction,” Kennedy says.

But this isn’t the first time Allan Bishop and his team have been recognized for their efforts. “In 2003, Allan won Entrepreneur of the Year from the Markham Board of Trade and Pirelli came forward (as did Goodyear) to present us with a plaque, make up shirts for the staff, and acknowledge our achievements,” Kennedy says. “And once again, with this Consumers’ Choice Award they have presented us with a plaque, made up shirts for the guys, and acknowledged our achievement.”

The humble tire shop that Bishop started in 1994 with two em-ployees and two bays has grown to a successful retail operation with 14 bays, 12 employees, and further expansion possible in the future.

Congratulations Tire Depot, and best wishes for the future!

ARTIGLIO 50

FOR INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT MR. ERIC LANDRY

800-663-0814

Importer of CORGHI products in Canada

CORGHI INvESTS IN TECHNOLOGY, DuRET & LANDRY INvESTS IN SERvICE!

DO YOu wANT TO SEE A RuN-FLAT TIRE MOuNTED AND DISMOuNTED IN

1 MINuTE 46?COME SEE OuR PROMOTIONAL vIDEO ON OuR NEw wEbSITE,

www.DuRETLANDRY.COM.

Michelle Kennedy says she and her team are honoured to receive the 2009 Consumers’ Choice Award for Business Excellence.


AdVErtiSErS

Better, Cheaper, More Fuel Efficient—Tires Made From Trees

Some day, automobile owners could be driving on tires partly made out of trees—which could cost less, perform better, and save on fuel and energy. Wood science researchers at Oregon State University have made some surprising findings about the potential of microcrystalline cellulose to partially replace silica as reinforcing filler in rubber tire manufacturing.

“We were surprised at how favorable the results were,” said Kaichang li, an associate professor of wood science and engineering in the OSU College of Forestry, who conducted this research with graduate student Wen Bai. “this could lead to a new generation of automotive tire technol-ogy,” li said.

in this study, OSU researchers re-placed up to about 12% of the silica used in conventional tire manufacture. this decreased the amount of energy needed to compound the rubber com-posite, improved the heat resistance of the product, and retained tensile strength. traction is always a key issue with tire performance, and the study showed that the traction of the new product was comparable to existing rubber tire technology in a wet, rainy environment. However, at high temper-atures (summer), the partial replace-

ment of silica decreased the rolling resistance of the product, which would improve fuel efficiency of rubber tires made with the new approach.

Toyo Proxes A20 Selected as OE Tire on 2010 Prius V

toyo’s all-season Proxes A20 has been selected as original equipment on the premium model 2010 toyota Prius V. the eco-friendly Proxes

A20 offers lower rolling resistance while still maintaining wet and dry braking performance. Prius V owners will also enjoy

the quiet, comfortable ride and the handling performance of the Proxes A20 in size P215/45r17 87V. in addition to the Prius V, toyo tires products are original equipment on other toyota vehicles such as the Highlander Hybrid, limited Grade, and the Camry.

Kumho Tires Lead the Eastern DMCC Tire Championship

the Castrol dMCC drift Championship is in full swing as—at press time—Matt Waldin leads in points over Pat Cyr and Frederick Girard following three events. But there is also a tire Championship within this competition and Kumho is leading in points with 417 points over BFGoodrich with 331 points. the grand finale of the season will be held at l’Autodrome St-Eustache in St-Eustache, Quebec on September 6 and 7.

World Record Set on Toyo Tires at Pikes Peak Climb

Competing in the 87th running of the historic Pikes Peak international Hill Climb (PPiHC) in Colorado, rhys Millen drove to a record-setting win in his rMr Hyundai Genesis Coupe equipped with off-the-shelf toyo extreme performance tires.

the race course begins at a 9,390-foot elevation and then stretches to the top at 14,110 feet with extreme changes in weather conditions. “As the drivers climb toward the summit, the thin air slows reflexes and saps muscle strength. the thin air also robs engines of 30% of their power at the summit. Competitors and vehicles must be in top shape simply to finish—let alone win,” the PPiHC reports.

Millen set a new world record of 12:09:397 on the 156-turn moun-tain course, finishing one minute and 23 seconds ahead of the next-fastest car in his division.

“i chose to run on the toyo Proxes r1r knowing that its high grip level would get us to the 10 mile mark in record time,” Millen recounts. “during the 12.5 mile run i experienced slippery pavement with rain and hail at the start line, 95° weather in the middle, and an abrasive upper two miles of crushed granite. A large contributor to the huge time reduction of this year’s record breaking run was due to the tires.”

Millen’s heavily modified Hyundai used off-the-shelf 245/40Zr18 tires in the front and 265/35Zr18 in the rear. they are the same tires available at any toyo dealer for performance-driven cars.

iNdUStrY NEWS

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Atlas Tire Wholesale www.atlastire.com 2, 7

Continental Tire www.continentaltire.ca 24

Duret & Landry www.duretlandry.com 21

Kumho www.kumhotire.ca 23

Michelin www.michelin.ca 11

O.K. Tire www.oktire.com 9

TIREMAX www.tiremax.ca 5

Documents

AUGUST 2009 - Autosphere · ing Lottridge, auctioned off their hair and shaved their heads. “We were hoping for $5,000, but we doubled that,” Lottridge said. The money went to