Skip to main content
EVENT TRACKER
Keep track of rescheduled, canceled industry events with our COVID-affected event tracker - Powered by Snap Finance
Close
Sister Publication Links
  • Rubber & Plastics News
  • European Rubber Journal
tb-logo
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • OPINION
    • CORONAVIRUS
    • AUTO INDUSTRY
    • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
    • COMMERCIAL TIRE
    • FACTORY FIXES
    • GOVERNMENT & LAW
    • INTERNATIONAL
    • MOTOR SPORTS
    • NEW PRODUCTS
    • RETAIL TIRES
    • SERVICE ZONE
    • SEMA/AAPEX
    • SMALL BUSINESS
    • TIRE MAKERS
    • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • COVID takes dealers for roller-coaster ride
      A year later, pandemic's full tire industry impact unclear
      Tire Cologne canceled; rescheduled until 2022
      New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
    • DTM switches horses mid-stream; awards race tire contract to Michelin
      Icahn Auto trims fiscal 2020 operating loss despite 14% lower sales
      Oshkosh unit gets contract for new USPS local delivery vehicle
      Sumitomo adds treadwear-detection to 'Sensor Core' toolkit
    • F1 extends Pirelli's supply contract through 2024
      Titan eyes solid recovery in 2021 as ag sector rebounds
      4 Wheel Parts celebrates 60th anniversary with deals, promotions
      CarAdvise partnering with RepairSmith mobile repair services
    • Goodyear joins connected mobility pilot program in Ohio
      Michelin launches high-scrub, weight-sensitive X One Multi T trailer tire
      TRAC Intermodal redirects retread biz 100% in-house
      Giti rolling out range of GT Radial-brand urban/regional truck tires
    • USTMA joins coalition supporting passage of Equality Act
      McMahon's Best-One increases its minimum wage to $15
      Oshkosh unit gets contract for new USPS local delivery vehicle
      Conti recalling 94,000 Conti-, General-, Barum-brand LT/SUV tires
    • F1 extends Pirelli's supply contract through 2024
      Maxam adding multipurpose radial, solid OTR tires
      Goodyear names Patterson to lead Cooper integration efforts
      DTM switches horses mid-stream; awards race tire contract to Michelin
    • F1 extends Pirelli's supply contract through 2024
      DTM switches horses mid-stream; awards race tire contract to Michelin
      Bridgestone World Solar Challenge canceled due to pandemic restrictions
      Pirelli, Goodyear ink sedan racing series contracts in Canada, Europe
    • Snap-on debuts Triton-D10 diagnostic tool with scan, lab scope capabilities
      Maxam adding multipurpose radial, solid OTR tires
      Michelin launches high-scrub, weight-sensitive X One Multi T trailer tire
      Giti rolling out range of GT Radial-brand urban/regional truck tires
    • COVID takes dealers for roller-coaster ride
      Investment groups to acquire Mavis Tire network
      Vogue Tyre offers $75 rebate on set of 4 tires during March
      4 Wheel Parts celebrates 60th anniversary with deals, promotions
    • Snap-on debuts Triton-D10 diagnostic tool with scan, lab scope capabilities
      Pennzoil offering carbon-neutral lubricants for passenger cars
      Washington dealership uses new-school solution for recruiting auto techs
      Marinucci: Customers may ignore dangerous conditions
    • TIA seeking nominations for Tire Industry Hall of Fame
      SEMA survey shows resilient auto aftermarket in 2020
      SEMA scholarships and loan forgiveness now available
      WTC hosting webinar Jan. 20 on load-capacity standards
    • SEMA survey shows resilient auto aftermarket in 2020
      Trade groups oppose minimum wage increase proposal
      New stimulus package fixes PPP loan confusion
      Vaccine may usher sense of normalcy
    • Goodyear joins connected mobility pilot program in Ohio
      Titan eyes solid recovery in 2021 as ag sector rebounds
      Michelin launches high-scrub, weight-sensitive X One Multi T trailer tire
      Goodyear names Patterson to lead Cooper integration efforts
    • Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      7 questions to ask consumers when they need tires for a crossover SUV
      Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      Stocking Tires for Crossover SUVs
      Sponsored By AppointmentPlus
      Three Important Lessons Learned for the Tire Business During a Pandemic
      Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      7 questions to ask consumers when they need tires for a crossover SUV
  • SHOP FLOOR
    • BALANCING
    • DEMOUNTING
    • SAFETY
    • TIRE REPAIR
    • TPMS
    • TRAINING
    • VEHICLE LIFTING
    • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Video: Balancing Tire
      Safety tips for wheel balancing
      An introduction to wheel balancing
      Wheel weights: Balancing form with function
    • Video: Demounting
      Tire changer types, tips and trends
      How to clear rim rust and corrosion
      An introduction to demounting, mounting and inflation
    • Video: Safety
      Customers
      Considerations for shop safety policies
      Introduction: Creating a culture of safety
    • Video: Tire Repair
      Essential tools, materials and equipment for tire repair
      An introduction to tire repair
      How to properly patch a puncture
    • Video: TMPS Service
      The life-saving work of TPMS
      An introduction to TPMS service
      The importance of proper relearn procedures
    • Video: Training
      Internship ideas to attract tech talent
      Choosing the right auto service tech school
      Intro: Finding and training technicians
    • Video:Vehicle Lifting
      The gravity of proper lift points
      Safety essentials when using jack stands
      An introduction to lifts and lift safety
    • Video: Wheel Torque
      The importance of torque specifications
      Introduction to proper wheel installation
      Torque check and recheck recommendations
  • Multimedia
    • VIDEOS
    • PHOTOS
    • PODCASTS
  • Events
    • ASK THE EXPERT
    • LIVESTREAMS
    • WEBINARS
    • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
  • Data
    • DATA STORE
  • Resources
    • DIRECTORY
    • CLASSIFIEDS
  • ADVERTISE
  • DIGITAL EDITION
  • Awards
    • Tire Dealer Humanitarian Award
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
March 26, 2001 01:00 AM

Wingfoot flies

  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    FORT SMITH, Ark.—Nearing its six-month birthday, Goodyear's Wingfoot Commercial Tire Systems L.L.C. has passed the point where it may have needed a "wing and a prayer" to take flight.

    When it took to the air Nov. 1, Wingfoot was billed as the "world's largest truck tire service network," bringing the tire maker's company-owned and Brad Ragan commercial sites together in a joint venture with Treadco Inc.'s commercial and retreading units.

    That accomplished, Wingfoot's almost-half-year report card has a number of incompletes, but some passing grades as well.

    John R. "Bob" Meyers, former Treadco president and CEO who's now Wingfoot's chairman and chief executive, is about over his pre-flight jitters and has found a "lot of pleasant surprises" while helping meld the three similar yet still somewhat different organizations.

    During a conference call from Wingfoot's (and Treadco's) headquarters in Fort Smith, he and Wingfoot President Michael R. Thomann told Tire Business the venture has had the benefit of being able to solicit ideas from employees in all three entities as it tries to settle on a definitive way to go to market and improve services for customers.

    A pessimist might say it's got to be tough making that work, but Mr. Thomann believes "it's fortunate that we have three groups coming together, looking at customer needs from three different viewpoints...." And it's "interesting because there wasn't a lot of overlap even on the customer base" among the operations.

    Currently, Wingfoot operates about 180 sites in 41 states and has three new locations under construction. The project furthest along will open in Laredo, Texas, followed by commercial outlets in Joplin, Mo., and Garner, N.C., a Raleigh suburb.

    Admittedly, Mr. Thomann said, one of the biggest challenges in combining three distinct operations on "different pages," so to speak, is settling on a common operating system.

    "We're taking the strengths of the Goodyear business management system and the old Treadco system and calling it the Wingfoot system," Mr. Meyers said. The end-of-year goal for Wingfoot, which already has begun the conversion process, is to get every outlet's management functions—such as billing, payroll, cost-accounting, general ledger and payables—blended together.

    "When finished with the transition," he continued, "the Wingfoot operating system won't look identical to any one of the three systems we had—we're trying to take the best of all three."

    Wingfoot also is part of Goodyear's Truckwise commercial dealer organization and, Mr. Thomann acknowledged, "actually fills a pretty large part of that distribution."

    He described Truckwise as a "customer-driven initiative because it answers the things customers want—and that's basically to get themselves out of the tire business and have somebody else handle that on a day-to-day basis, all the way from inception until the last time you retread that tire."

    Goodyear's Next-Tred retreading system was integrated into Wingfoot at its debut, but only Treadco locations had to convert from the Oliver Rubber Co. system they were using.

    In February, Potosi, Mo.-based Purcell Tire & Rubber Co. closed a deal with Wingfoot and acquired two former Treadco facilities—a retread plant and commercial tire center in Las Vegas, and a commercial site in St. Louis. However, Mr. Thomann said Wingfoot has no similar deals pending to sell holdings to other independent dealers where market coverage may overlap.

    "Our intention at this point is to move forward and grow from here. We have no intention of selling any additional locations."

    On the other hand, Mr. Meyers said the company is studying markets "where it makes sense for us to expand into—that will largely be customer driven, for customers who want us to service 100 percent of their fleets, for instance."

    Not wishing to tip off competitors to future expansion plans, he would only say Wingfoot is "attracted to markets where we don't currently have a presence." With 180 sites around the U.S., there are still quite a few markets where Wingfoot doesn't have distribution, and the company will be evaluating those opportunities over the next several months.

    Introducing uniform Wingfoot signage to all existing sites, though, is a task that will occur over time and could take a few years to accomplish, Mr. Meyers said. Easy things—such as invoices and business cards—will roll out quickly, as will signs on new Wingfoot service trucks.

    While the company goes to market with a focus on Goodyear's "G-3" brand strategy—Goodyear, Kelly and Dunlop—he said Wingfoot will "supplement Goodyear brands where it's prudent and necessary to fill voids in the lineup in order to service our customers in the best fashion." And, Mr. Thomann added, "a number of portions of this organization were multi-branded previous to this joint venture, so this is not a new way of looking at the world."

    Asked how Goodyear answers concerns of independent dealers that, with so-called "controlled distribution" systems such as Wingfoot, their tire supplier is increasingly encroaching on their territories, Mr. Thomann noted that "company-owned distribution is not something that's new within Goodyear." The tire maker's commercial tire and service centers have been operating for at least 25 years, and the company has had an ownership in the Brad Ragan organization since 1985.

    "I think what's somewhat different is we now have an organization that's truly national in scope," he said, "and can service customers' needs wherever they are. Not that that's in competition with other Goodyear distribution, but it really enhances the whole distribution network."

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Tire Business would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor Don Detore at [email protected].

    SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Newsletter Center

    Staying current is easy with Tire Business delivered straight to your inbox.

    SUBSCRIBE TODAY

    Subscribe to Tire Business

    SUBSCRIBE
    Connect with Us
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Tire Business is an award-winning publication dedicated to providing the latest news, data and insights into the tire and automotive service industries.

    tb-logo
    Reader Services
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Site Map
    • Industry Sites
    • Order Reprints
    • Customer Service: 877-320-1716
    Partner Sites
    • Rubber & Plastics News
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Automotive News
    • Plastics News
    • Plastics News China
    • Urethanes Technology
    RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    • Terms of Service
    • Media Guide
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Classified Rates
    • Digital Edition
    • Careers
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • OPINION
      • CORONAVIRUS
      • AUTO INDUSTRY
      • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
      • COMMERCIAL TIRE
      • FACTORY FIXES
      • GOVERNMENT & LAW
      • INTERNATIONAL
      • MOTOR SPORTS
      • NEW PRODUCTS
      • RETAIL TIRES
      • SERVICE ZONE
      • SEMA/AAPEX
      • SMALL BUSINESS
      • TIRE MAKERS
      • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • SHOP FLOOR
      • BALANCING
      • DEMOUNTING
      • SAFETY
      • TIRE REPAIR
      • TPMS
      • TRAINING
      • VEHICLE LIFTING
      • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Multimedia
      • VIDEOS
      • PHOTOS
      • PODCASTS
    • Events
      • ASK THE EXPERT
      • LIVESTREAMS
      • WEBINARS
      • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
    • Data
      • DATA STORE
    • Resources
      • DIRECTORY
      • CLASSIFIEDS
    • ADVERTISE
    • DIGITAL EDITION
    • Awards
      • Tire Dealer Humanitarian Award