Magazine for the professional tire industry
Issue link: https://mtd.epubxp.com/i/244093
News/views bites Tire Discounters expands Tire Discounters Inc. plans to open 12 stores in the Nashville, Tenn., area by early 2015. Stores will open in Nashville, Mt. Juliet, Smyrna, Bellevue, Hendersonville and Brentwood in the first half of 2014. Redburn chooses TIA program Redburn Tire Co. is the first company to sign on with the Tire Industry Association group employee benefits program offered through The Association Benefits Solution. Double H Tire supports shelter Bids placed on two sets of tires furnished by Todd Hamilton, owner of Leroy's Corp. dba Double H Tire in Mineral Wells, Texas, for a charity auction raised $2,500 for a local battered women's shelter. Belle Tire opens store Belle Tire Distributors Inc. opened a retail store that includes a warehouse for more than 3,000 tires in Grand Blanc, Mich. Belle Tire now operates 88 retail outlets. Video promotes retreading The Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau (TRIB) and American Commercial Tire Network have produced a video on the environmental benefits of retreading. Yokohama, Kumho team up Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. and Kumho Tire Co. Inc. announced plans to enter into a capital alliance to buy each other's shares and exchange technology to increase their global competitiveness. Network merges brands The Automotive Distribution Network announced it merged the Auto Pride and CMB subsidiaries on Jan. 1, 2014. ALI's board elects Calarco The board of directors of the Automotive Lift Institute has elected its first representative from the lift inspection side of the business, Evan Calarco of Total Tool Ltd. in Castleton, N.Y. OTR duties will continue The United States Department of Commerce has ruled that duties leveled on OTR tires exported to the U.S. from China under a previous duty order will remain in place. 10 ASA will continue TireMasterG4 rollout under Constellation ownership Although ASA Automotive Systems LLC (ASA) has a new corporate parent, it will be "business as usual" for customers, according to ASA President Ken Halle. Constellation Software Inc. of Toronto, Ontario, purchased ASA in December 2013. ASA is now an independent division of Constellation's Friedman Corp. of Deerfeld, Ill. Friedman is a division of Constellation's Vela Operating Group. "This new relationship will give us access to a broad network of software professionals along with providing the support and security of a strong global parent company to enable us to continue growing and building the ASA software brand," says Halle. "We are now part of a much bigger and fnancially secure organization that provides software solutions to multiple business verticals. We look to leverage the best practices of Constellation and fnd possible product synergies with the other Constellation divisions that can enhance what ASA has to offer to our clients." The rollout of ASA's TireMasterG4 ASA enterprise sales representative Lou Marengi demonstrated the TireMasterG4 point-of-sale module at the recent Global Tire Expo in Las Vegas. The rollout of TireMasterG4 software will continue under ASA's new owner, Constellation Software Inc. cloud-based point-of-sale software suite will continue with the full support of Constellation. Halle says Constellation is looking for ASA to grow its enterprise sales with the new G4 product. Also, ASA will continue to expand its Cornerstone software solution developed with Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC for use by Bridgestone's consumer tire dealers. More than 3,000 U.S. tire dealer locations are using ASA products, which represents the majority market share, according to Halle. Max Finkelstein opens its 11th D/C Max Finkelstein Inc. chose Rochester, N.Y., as the site for its 11th distribution center. The move allows the company to 'better serve dealers' in the Rochester, Buffalo and the Finger Lakes area. "Having a distribution center in the Rochester area increases the productivity of our supply chain, achieving positive customer satisfaction," says Joe Cote, the region's sales director. The D/C is the company's ffth in New York. The other warehouses are located in Connecticut, New Jersey (two), Maine, Vermont and Pennsylvania. "It is great to have a wholesaler with such a large selection of G3 products and a history of great customer service in the Rochester area," says Tim Trombley, co-owner of Trombley Tire & Auto, a six-store chain based in the region. Max Finkelstein is a wholesale distributor based in northeast New York. The company sells Goodyear, Dunlop, Kelly, Pirelli, Kumho, Aeolus, Wind Power, Centara, Goodride and Carlisle products. MTD January 2014