DECATUR, Ill. — CEAT Specialty Tires is sponsoring the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) to increased awareness and sales to U.S. farmers and ranchers.
CEAT, which entered the North American market in 2017, will sponsor several local competition events in the 2019-20 PBR Velocity Tour Schedule. The company said it will have extensive exposure at the event venues and exposure on PBR digital assets, as well as inclusion in local promotions.
Hospitality for CEAT dealers and their customers also will be held at the events.
"PBR and its cowboys resonate extremely well with our core audience of farmers and ranchers," said Vijay Gambhire, managing director of CEAT Specialty Tyres Ltd. "Bull riding fans are very passionate about the sport, and we hope to translate that excitement to the CEAT brand."
According to the PBR, the sport has 13 million avid fans.
To celebrate its sponsorship announcement at the recent Farm Progress Show, CEAT hosted rides on a mechanical riding bull for attendees to "get their cowboy on." PBR rider Daniel Tinsman was at the CEAT booth on Aug. 28 to give tips and sign autographs.
Anyone who stayed on the mechanical bull longer than 20 seconds generated a $100 donation from CEAT to the local Macon County (Ill.) 4-H. Ten riders achieved the time, so the company presented a $1,000 check to the local organization, CEAT said.
In the specialty segment, CEAT manufactures farm, mining and earthmover, industrial and construction equipment tires, as well as special application off-road tires.