En Englais: Goodyear refreshing dealership network across Latin America

SAN LUIS POTOSÍ, Mexico — Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. is revamping the image of its tire dealerships throughout Latin America to coincide with the start of construction on the company's new production plant in San Luis Potosí.

During the groundbreaking ceremony July 28 for the Akron-based tire maker's $500 million to $550 million factory, the company unveiled the new image of San Luis Potosí dealerships Servillantas del Parque and Pelayo Servicio Automotriz.

Goodyear called it the first step in a strategy to renovate its image regionally in a bid to attract more customers and to offer improved facilities “to those who have shown their preference for Goodyear.”

Buffing up the company's dealerships comes as a result of a poll taken last year in which Goodyear asked customers across Latin America to specify how their experience of visiting the company's sales points could be improved.

To present the new retail look for its stores, Jean-Claude Kihn, the company's Latin America president, and Martín Rosales, president and managing director of Goodyear Mexico, visited several sales points in San Luis Potosí, including Servillantas del Parque and Pelayo Servicio.

“The new image is a symbol of Goodyear's total commitment to its dealership network and the customers who have put their trust in us,” Mr. Rosales said. “This is how we demonstrate that we do listen to them and do understand their needs. They are fundamental to the success of Goodyear Mexico.”

Mr. Kihn spoke of his pride in being part of “this historic moment for Goodyear in Mexico and the rest of Latin America.”

“Mexico's among the region's most important markets,” he said, referring to Latin America, “and there's no better proof of this than the execution of the plan to revamp the image of our dealership network and the announcement of the investment in the Mexican market.”

Eduardo Argüelles, Goodyear's head of public relations for Latin America, confirmed that all 150 Goodyear dealerships in Mexico are independent; none are company owned.

Goodyear announced its intention to build a plant in San Luis Potosí in April. The facility is slated to open in the summer of 2017. The company has two dealerships in the state of San Luis Potosí with five points of sale.

Stephen Downer is a Mexico-based freelance writer who covers that country and Latin America for Tire Business and its Latin America e-newsletter.