BUFFALO, N.Y. (June 30, 2004) — Dunn Tire L.L.C. recently installed nitrogen inflation systems in two stores, with systems scheduled to go into two more soon.
Dunn Tire installed the units earlier this month at two Buffalo-area stores, and its outlets in Hamburg, N.Y., and Niagara Falls, N.Y., will follow suit. A spokesman said the retail dealership will then evaluate the systems for 90 to 120 days to determine if all of Dunn Tire's 27 outlets should offer nitrogen.
“With today's gas prices, we felt it was the right time to make nitrogen available to our customers,” Chairman Randy Clark said in a statement.
For now, Dunn Tire charges $5 a wheel for a fill-up, though that amount could change, the spokesman said. Dunn Tire also is working out the service bay logistics to quickly purge a tire's air and replace it with nitrogen.
Dunn Tire launched the systems with live radio remotes plus newspaper advertisements offering 50 percent off a fill-up. The response, the spokesman said, was “unbelievable.” He said Dunn Tire primarily sees nitrogen as a way to stay a step ahead of the competition.
“New technology is brought forth, and we're going to be there,” he said, adding he believes 35-40 percent of motorists in the next few years will fill their tires with nitrogen.