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
    • TBC Corp. to make donation to company charity to reward vaccinated employees
      Titan to offer free COVID-19 vaccines at Iowa facility
      Bridgestone hosts vaccination events for plant employees
      Cioffi: Will remote working be the new normal?
    • SEMA closes deal for SEMA Garage property in Michigan
      Conti adding dynamic driving simulator at German R&D center
      Yokohama gains OE fitments on BMW, Mercedes-AMG sport utilities
      SEMA picks site in Michigan for 2nd SEMA Garage
    • Pirelli adds 3rd North American bicycle tire distributor
      Goodyear goes retro for 'Throwback' NASCAR race at Darlington Raceway
      Keter to expand NeoTerra SKUs through mid-2022
      Federal approved as 5th Formula Drift tire supplier
    • Vipal targets North America for machinery sales growth
      Commercial tire, retreading sectors on solid footing
      JK Tyre adds radial truck tires to U.S. portfolio
      Mitchell 1 enhances ADAS info access in TruckSeries software
    • New York chipping in $3M+ toward Sumitomo factory expansion
      SBA extends and expands COVID-19 loan program
      Stimulus spending should help tire industry
      U.S. agro-science firm gets $1M grant to research sunflower latex
    • Bridgestone to upgrade Japanese OTR tire plant
      Point S Canada signs point-of-sale agreement with Flexiti Financial
      Fountain Tire promotes pair to new executive roles
      ETRMA adding Nexen and Czech and Slovak trade groups to membership
    • Goodyear goes retro for 'Throwback' NASCAR race at Darlington Raceway
      Federal approved as 5th Formula Drift tire supplier
      Maxxis offers discount to ChampCar competitors
      Michelin strikes supply deals with new Canadian racing series
    • Yokohama OHT adds severe-duty solid tire to Galaxy brand
      Bosch adds 22 aftermarket parts in Q1
      Snap-On introduces TreadReader handheld tire scanner
      Vogue Tyre introduces ‘biggest, boldest' red stripe tire
    • Point S Canada signs point-of-sale agreement with Flexiti Financial
      WTC webinar to address tire/wheel-balancing process errors
      Commercial tire, retreading sectors on solid footing
      TBC Corp. to make donation to company charity to reward vaccinated employees
    • Bosch adds 22 aftermarket parts in Q1
      Marinucci: Detailed instructions will save time
      Bartec introduces TPMS software updates
      Snap-On introduces TreadReader handheld tire scanner
    • WTC webinar to address tire/wheel-balancing process errors
      SEMA closes deal for SEMA Garage property in Michigan
      SEMA picks site in Michigan for 2nd SEMA Garage
      SEMA touts expanded Las Vegas Convention Center ahead of 2021 expo
    • SBA extends and expands COVID-19 loan program
      Stimulus spending should help tire industry
      Giti disputes report blasting tire maker for accepting PPP funds
      SEMA survey shows resilient auto aftermarket in 2020
    • Coopers are ready to rock: Cooper Tire, Alice Cooper seek best garage band
      Last Mile: Delivery surge raises demand for medium truck tires
      Nexen touting manufacturing quality milestone
      Apollo isn't planning U.S. plant — yet
    • 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
      Making rims ready for a tight seal
      Tire changer types, tips and trends
      How to clear rim rust and corrosion
    • Video: Safety
      Ergonomics on the shop floor
      Customers
      Considerations for shop safety policies
    • Video: Tire Repair
      Staying safe when repairing a tire
      Essential tools, materials and equipment for tire repair
      An introduction to tire repair
    • Video: TPMS Service
      Replacement TPMS sensor overview
      The life-saving work of TPMS
      An introduction to TPMS service
    • Video: Training
      Options and resources for CE tech training
      Internship ideas to attract tech talent
      Choosing the right auto service tech school
    • Video:Vehicle Lifting
      Tips and recommendations for lifting safety
      The gravity of proper lift points
      Safety essentials when using jack stands
    • Video: Wheel Torque
      The danger of too much, too little torque
      The importance of torque specifications
      Introduction to proper wheel installation
  • 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
September 30, 2002 02:00 AM

Tire Business Marketplace

  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    On the road...still

    In case you didn't know, Michelin North America Inc. doesn't just make tires that'll get you someplace. It's also happy to tell you where to go. Or at least, how to get there.

    The Greenville, S.C.-based tire maker announced last month that, ``just in time for holiday travel,'' its first-ever ``North America Road Atlas'' was hitting book and map stores and leading online retailers.

    The simple-to-use spiral-bound tool ``makes travel as effortless as turning a page,'' the company said, and is chock-full of trip planners and ``go-to'' pointers to trace a route from one map to the next without having to flip pages.

    Michelin said its Travel Publications group, with more than 100 years of experience and expertise in the travel industry, publishes guides for sightseeing, dining, lodging, plus a series of maps and atlases that are known internationally.

    About the only part of the company's press release we were curious about was the teaser headline boasting: ``Finally, an atlas designed for the way you drive.'' We presume there's not a section in there about how to drive while balancing a cell phone in one hand and a donut in the other. And we highly doubt the tome covers the finer points of road rage.

    This 'n that

    Deadman's curve-That famous philosopher ``Unknown'' once observed: ``A bend in the road is not the end of the road, unless you fail to make the turn.''

    * * *

    Perseverance-That great hater of kids and animals and lover of hooch, W.C. Fields, noted: ``Don't say you can't swear off drinking; it's easy. I've done it a thousand times.''

    * * *

    Open wide and say `ah'-How many times do you come up with something you believe is top notch, then after reality sets in you start to fear someone, maybe a competitor, will simply steal your idea or take credit for your effort?

    Physicist and computer pioneer Howard Hathaway Aiken offers this pragmatic advice: ``Don't worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you'll have to ram them down people's throats.''

    * * *

    Skeptics anonymous-From an early age, journalists (especially government reporters) are trained to take everything with a grain of salt (or is it a pint of beer?) Anyway...we take to heart the words of a gent named Claud Cockburn who warned: ``Never believe anything until it has been officially denied.''

    Snoopin' on the dawg

    Give points to General Motors Corp. for trying to buck up its Cadillac nameplate and help it shed its stodgy image.

    Using Led Zeppelin in TV ads to tell the youthful crowd that it's been a long time since Caddy rock 'n rolled has apparently generated some interest. Then, on the heels of that marketing campaign, came reports last November about a rumored rapmobile (not to be confused with a Caddy-based Batmobile) set to debut.

    Well, it looks like it's just another urban legend. Seems the New York Daily News floated the possibility of a modified Cadillac dubbed the ``Snoop DeVille,'' based on the whims of rapper Snoop Dogg. The Internet entertainment site Launch.com reported that the dawgman had worked with a Memphis, Tenn., Caddy dealer on the special order. But now the Web site is saying the car maker doesn't plan to get involved in any such project.

    ``There's no special line of Cadillac DeVille following this personalized Snoop Dogg DeVille,'' a Cadillac publicist told the Web site.

    Too bad. It could open up a lot of possibilities, such as a Scoop DeVille aimed at journalists. Or maybe a Coop DeVille as the personalized wheels for chicken baron Jim Perdue, board chairman and TV spokesman for Perdue Farms Inc.

    Sign here (hiccup)

    Could be a whole new trend in sales and customer relations or, at the least, a unique way to coddle them.

    Mind you, that's not the reasoning at Lund Cadillac, where customers can enjoy a cold beer while signing on the dotted line. For a dozen years, the Phoenix car dealership has offered food and refreshments to invited guests every weekend and six weekdays a month.

    The average draw on a weekend is about 150 customers and 30 sales.

    ``If we go through a couple of six-packs on a weekend, that's a huge deal,'' said John Halvorsen, general manager of the dealership, which is owned by Bob Lund, 84, a former Caddy and Chevrolet exec at General Motors Corp.

    Apparently at least one patron has complained that the marketing tactic could influence customers' decisions, according to Automotive News.

    But Mr. Halvorsen defended it, noting that ``a couple of years ago, Mr. Lund went to court, and the state said it's totally legal as long as we don't sell it (alcohol). We don't force it on anyone. We wouldn't sign a contract with someone who's inebriated.''

    That's good to hear. With all the options available to choose from, picking a new car is tough enough.

    Str-r-retching around the globe

    Back on Dec. 28, 1931, Harvey S. Firestone Sr. took to the NBC radio airwaves as the ``Voice of Firestone'' to talk about the vital role of rubber as a product that touches peoples' lives.

    Funny, but the 71-year-old words of the founder of the Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. still ring true today:

    ``An interesting thing about rubber is that it probably comes in contact with more different nationalities of people than any other commodity,'' he said. ``Behind every pneumatic tire is a trail vibrating with voices spoken in many tongues. It is doubtful if any other commodity goes through life amid such a babble of speech, or has so varied an acquaintance, or is such a confirmed globetrotter.''

    P.S.: Muchas gracias

    As a parting shot, we extend a hearty thanks to TB staffer Bruce Davis for pinch hitting as Marketplace editor for the Sept. 2 issue while we spent a couple weeks of, uh, ``quality'' time in the hospital. Suffice it to say that, after surgery, we now have a semi-colon.

    As for Mr. Davis, who himself had surgery Sept. 17, he left the hospital with less gall and is on the mend. Watch for us on an upcoming episode of ER...naw, just kidding.

    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