Magazine for the professional tire industry
Issue link: https://mtd.epubxp.com/i/148910
DLS Retreading DLS Retreading and Continental: A 'force multiplied' New dealer and tire maker work together to capture Carolina retread market share By Lori L. Mavrigian D LS Retreading Inc. opened the doors of the frst all-new ContiTread licensed truck tire retreading facility in the United States last month. Te 16,000-square-foot retreading shop in Fort Mill, S.C., is part of a 72,000-squarefoot commercial building and will not only produce and sell Continental ContiTread fat precure retreaded truck tires, but also ofer new Continental and General truck tires. Te facility has 11 service docks. Vice President and General Manager Scot Snyder, a 25-year veteran of the truck tire and retreading industry, says the new facility could not have been created without the partnership of Continental Tire the Americas Paul Williams (left), Continental's executive vice president for truck tires, LLC's Commercial Vehicle Tire business unit. worked closely with DLS Retreading's Vice President and General Manager "We have truly worked together as a team, Scott Snyder to get the plant up and running. and what makes this most intriguing is that Continental has taken a year to work with our family, providing Snyder started his new business by buying an empty wareresources and capital, to make sure that we could get into this house. DLS Retreading, the frst of Continental's licensees in market successfully." the U.S. to build a retread facility instead of switching processes Continental made a commitment to DLS Retreading to in an existing plant, is the result. provide the engineering, marketing and sales support needed "Paul knew I was intrigued with the retreading industry," to succeed in South Carolina, which is one of the fastest- says Snyder. "I started talking with him about a year ago to growing economies in the southeast U.S., says Paul Williams, see if there were any opportunities in the market for someone Continental's executive vice president for truck tires. South like me. And here we are, one year later." Carolina was ranked tied for second highest real gross domestic Troughout his career, Snyder has had extensive experience product (GDP) growth rate in the region for 2012, according with two other retreading processes, Bandag and Michelin to a June news release by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Americas Truck Retread Technologies (MRT). Snyder had Bureau of Economic Analysis. worked for Berlin Tire, Tire Centers Inc. (TCi), which was "We've been commited to help DLS Retreading with this purchased by Michelin North America Inc. in 1999, and new venture from the beginning, not only because they are Snider Tire Inc. "Tis venture is a good opportunity — the close to our headquarters in Fort Mill, but more importantly, right place at the right time." because they understand the benefts of providing retreads Te building is wholly owned by DLS Retreading. Conthat meet the needs of the market with the same performance tinental provided help with the design and layout of the and designs as the new tires," says Williams. retread facility, which currently takes up about a quarter of Tat proximity to Continental's HQ (about four miles) has the building's foor space. created a synergy, says Williams. "We're a force multiplied." Te "Plant conversions take about two weeks," Williams explains. plant also will be used as a training facility for new employees "Tis building was an empty warehouse — a clean sheet of as well as a showcase for potential ContiTread licensees. paper, so to speak. Te whole process took a lot of time, but 64 MTD August 2013