WASHINGTON (Dec. 11, 2003) — Officials of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and the retreading industry met in Washington Dec. 10.
Both sides had “a very friendly and cordial meeting” regarding USPS plans to issue a nationwide retread procurement contract to a large retreading technology firm, according to Harvey Brodsky, managing director of the Tire Retread Information Bureau.
Another meeting is scheduled for the third week of January, Mr. Brodsky added. The USPS wants to maximize its retread procurement through the nationwide contract, on which Goodyear and Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.'s Oliver Rubber Co. subsidiary have bid.
Goodyear is the sole supplier of new tires to the USPS's fleet of 200,000 ground vehicles according to a 10-year contract signed in 2001. The company supplies about 235,000 new tires annually, as well as a measurable share of more than 100,000 retreaded tires the agency buys per year.
TRIB and the Tire Industry Association say the USPS´s plan could hurt smaller retreaders dependent on local and regional contracts with the Postal Service.