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
    • QuikQ fuel card adding Michelin, BFG tires to product discounts
      Exclusive PPP window closing March 9, program continues rest of the month
      F1 extends Pirelli's supply contract through 2024
      Titan eyes solid recovery in 2021 as ag sector rebounds
    • QuikQ fuel card adding Michelin, BFG tires to product discounts
      Fisher: Commercial tire industries evolve during year of pandemic
      Goodyear joins connected mobility pilot program in Ohio
      Michelin launches high-scrub, weight-sensitive X One Multi T trailer tire
    • Exclusive PPP window closing March 9, program continues rest of the month
      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
    • 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
    • Exclusive PPP window closing March 9, program continues rest of the month
      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
    • Five tips for finding, retaining auto technicians
      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
    • 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
    • Bridgestone installs solar panels at South Carolina tire plant
      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
    • 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
      Choosing the right balancing equipment
      Safety tips for wheel balancing
      An introduction to wheel balancing
    • Video: Demounting
      Demounting Equipment
      Making rims ready for a tight seal
      Tire changer types, tips and trends
    • Video: Safety
      Making friends with OSHA
      Ergonomics on the shop floor
      Customers
    • Video: Tire Repair
      Tire repair: Shining a light on visual inspections
      Staying safe when repairing a tire
      Essential tools, materials and equipment for tire repair
    • Video: TMPS Service
      Decoding sensor data for TPMS diagnosis
      Replacement TPMS sensor overview
      The life-saving work of TPMS
    • Video: Training
      Advantages of apprentice program partnerships
      Options and resources for CE tech training
      Internship ideas to attract tech talent
    • Video:Vehicle Lifting
      All types of lifts for all types of work
      Tips and recommendations for lifting safety
      The gravity of proper lift points
    • Video: Wheel Torque
      Using torque sticks to speed service times
      The danger of too much, too little torque
      The importance of torque specifications
  • 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
  2. News
May 13, 2013 02:00 AM

Private brander fights "China-made' image

  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    PORTLAND, Ore.—It's been five years since the official launch of Icon Tire L.L.C., but things are finally coming together for the fledgling private brand tire marketer, which has introduced a tire line designed on the concept of a colored visual tread depth indicator.

    Having recently completed a 12-month marketing test with its Icon Innovator tire line in Canada, the company is now beginning to roll out the product to U.S. dealers, according to tire safety proponent Pat O'Brien.

    “Right now we are in discussion with several retail/wholesale distribution networks in the U.S. market, but we have yet to establish a relationship,” Mr. O'Brien said.

    The company's offering includes seven sizes in the SUV/light truck category, with four more sizes due to arrive in the fall, Mr. O'Brien said.

    In 2014 the company plans to offer even more sizes in the category along with a full line of passenger car tires. All Icon Innovator tires are manufactured by Shandong Linglong Tyre Co. Ltd. in China.

    The most notable feature of the Icon brand is its Visual Tire Performance Indicator (VTPI) technology, a color-coded, tire wear detection system invented by Mr. O'Brien. The technology uses winter tire studding equipment to insert indicator stud pins into tires.

    The indicators are color-coded black, yellow and red and placed across the face of a tire in rows of four tread positions. As a tire wears to a point when wet/snow traction is significantly diminished, the indicators turn yellow, Mr. O'Brien said.

    When tread depth reaches 3/32nd inch, the indicators turn read, notifying the driver that performance is greatly diminished and the tires need to be replaced before reaching the 2/32nds mark.

    Mr. O'Brien noted the color-coding is what separates these indicators from other options on the market, which primarily used wear bars or siped symbols.

    “Our indicators are significantly different than others in that they are colored and easily identifiable at a distance and intuitive in nature—yellow warning, and red stop,” he told Tire Business. “Moreover, our indicators go shoulder-to-shoulder, offering other benefits such as identifying irregular wear patterns.”

    That all sounds well and good, but Mr. O'Brien admitted he anticipates some difficulty in securing a market in the U.S., as the company must try to not only make dealers look past the “made in China” connotations, but to pay for such a tire that—as a result of the technology built into it—comes in at a higher price point than most.

    “Much of the concern revolves around introducing the performance indicators into a Chinese-made product. Most dealers see 'Chinese-made' as being marketed at bottom-tier pricing and question the benefit of having performance indicators in a tire that is so price sensitive,” he said.

    “Our tires, because of the quality and investment—not only in the performance indicators but also in the tire itself—tend to be at the high-end of Chinese pricing.

    “Many retailers carrying Chinese tires want to price them strictly as an entry level product, and so price tends to be the only issue,” he continued. “However, we have had the experience in Canada that when Icon is placed side-by-side with other private label products (made in the U.S.) where the price was not the only concern, the Icon was very competitive. The Innovator usually outsold more established brands because of the added value the indicators brought the customer.”

    The Icon Tire story began in 2003 when Mr. O'Brien joined the tire industry as a founding member of Smart Tread L.L.C. At that time, Smart Tread had developed initial intellectual property related to tread depth indicators, Mr. O'Brien said, and was focusing efforts on changing the industry's 2/32nd-inch tire replacement standard.

    “My job at that time was to manage a government relations program aimed at engaging with the Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and other organizations and stakeholders dedicated to improving traffic and tire safety,” he said.

    “It was during this time that I was able to meet with representatives from major manufacturers to discuss how they might use current technology to put colored or visually obvious indicators in tires that might show up at 4/32nds rather than the use of wear bars currently used for 2/32nds indication.

    “While major manufacturers were interested in some of the ideas introduced by Smart Tread, they were skeptical as to how the tires would work or how they would be accepted by the market,” he added.

    In 2005, Mr. O'Brien traveled to China in search of a Chinese tire maker willing to develop tires for a test market to support the concept. It was at this time he partnered with Shandong Linglong Tyre Co. Ltd., which he said expressed “a keen interest in our concepts” and “a willingness to work with me on developing a manufacturing process.”

    According to Mr. O'Brien, the next few years would see a shift in focus toward identifying performance loss as a result of worn tire tread.

    “When consumers bought tires, they had certain expectations of how those tires would perform in certain conditions,” he said. “For example, winter tires would give you added traction based upon the polymers and tread design used for that tire.

    “However, as a tire wears at a certain point you would not have the benefits of the winter traction, but the tire would still be legally safe to use. So I developed a method for identifying performance loss and colored indicators that would inform the driver as to that loss depending on the tire's intended use.”

    Working with Shandong Linglong, Mr. O'Brien said he first had to figure out how to manufacture the tires in a way that would allow these colored indicators to be placed into them at consistent tread depths. After testing various means of extrusion, he developed an indicator capable of using the same insertion equipment as winter tire studs.

    “By utilizing nylon plastic, we could accurately place colored indication at any tread depth depending on the need of the tire, and that indicator would wear as the tire wears with no impact on the tire's integrity,” he said.

    Work on the indicator was completed in 2008, and Mr. O'Brien launched the Icon Tire brand later that year. He spent most of late 2008 and early 2009 working on tire design and mold development.

    But the launch of the brand was quickly put on hold.

    “It was about that time that we started to hear rumors of potential Department of Commerce action on Chinese-made tires, and while we were excited to bring Icon to market, the timing placed additional barriers to the planned rollout,” Mr. O'Brien said.

    “We attempted to obtain a waiver on the 421 duty on the basis of new safety technology, but our efforts were denied.

    “I decided to shelve Icon until we had a better understanding of how the tax would play out.”

    In late 2009, Mr. O'Brien and industry veteran Nick Hodel, former Northwest Tire Factory L.L.C. CEO, cofounded Tire Performance Indicators L.L.C. (TPI), a Brush Prairie, Wash.-based firm. TPI acquired licensing rights from Smart Tread to produce and market the company's performance indicators to other tire manufacturers.

    Mr. O'Brien left the company in 2011 to refocus his efforts on the Icon Tire brand, but he noted that Mr. Hodel and TPI “continue to work with tire manufacturers to bring performance indicators to market with other brands.”

    With the tariffs on Chinese tires still in effect in 2011, Mr. O'Brien decided to invest in bringing a limited number of SUV tires under the Icon-brand name to Canada to establish a test market.

    Tires were sold to independent retailers in the Toronto area with, he said, “exceptional results.”

    “We have been very pleased with the performance of the tires sold, and customers appreciate having visual feedback from the tire,” Mr. O'Brien said.

    The company recently hired former Hercules Tire & Rubber Co. veteran Rob Bezeau as vice president of international sales to handle introducing the brand in North America.

    “Icon will start out as a regional brand in limited markets due to the constraints of our current offering,” Mr. O'Brien said. “Ultimately, with the support of Linglong and the growth of distribution networks we look to have Icon available in every market in North America.”

    For wholesale distributors and retailers that partner with the brand through 2014, the company is offering the promise of long-term exclusive territories, deeply discounted pricing and marketing support, Mr. O'Brien said.

    “Our product is new and limited in our current offering. To some that poses a risk,” he said.

    “However, as we grow, we look forward to working closely with our customers to develop products and marketing strategies that meet their future needs.”

    To reach this reporter: [email protected]; 330-865-6148.

    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