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
    • Tire Cologne canceled; rescheduled until 2022
      New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
      Vaccine may usher sense of normalcy
      Cover-up: More retailers requiring face masks to curb COVID
    • 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
      New Porsche 911 GT3 to feature Michelin fitment
    • Icahn Auto trims fiscal 2020 operating loss despite 14% lower sales
      Oshkosh unit gets contract for new USPS local delivery vehicle
      Yokohama sets ambitious goals through 2023
      Conti recalling 94,000 Conti-, General-, Barum-brand LT/SUV tires
    • TravelCenters plans 6 TA Express sites in California in 2021
      Carlisle TyrFil broadens recycling technology options
      U.K. retreader Vaculug to promote tread rubber supplier Vipal
      TMC moves spring conference online, sets trade show for September
    • Oshkosh unit gets contract for new USPS local delivery vehicle
      Conti recalling 94,000 Conti-, General-, Barum-brand LT/SUV tires
      Cooper expands recall of Cooper, Mastercraft grand-touring tires
      DOT issues 13 tire plant ID codes in 2020
    • Yokohama sets ambitious goals through 2023
      OK Tire secures exclusivity for Blackhawk tire brand
      U.K. retreader Vaculug to promote tread rubber supplier Vipal
      Execs: Goodyear acquisition of Cooper will benefit dealers
    • Bridgestone World Solar Challenge canceled due to pandemic restrictions
      Pirelli, Goodyear ink sedan racing series contracts in Canada, Europe
      Goodyear extends partnership with Nürburgring race circuit
      BFG to support ATV/UTV racers in WORCS series
    • Michelin launching ‘eco-responsible' performance tire for sporty EVs
      Martins Industries launches products in 3 categories
      Carlisle TyrFil broadens recycling technology options
      New McLaren supercar incorporates Pirelli's Cyber Tyre system
    • Icahn Auto trims fiscal 2020 operating loss despite 14% lower sales
      Cooper recalling 430,000+ whitewall LT tires in multiple brands
      OK Tire secures exclusivity for Blackhawk tire brand
      NPW hires Switzer as national sales manager
    • Automotive Lift Institute introduces Check360 inspection, label
      Martins Industries launches products in 3 categories
      Marinucci: Effective road test may eliminate issues
      Our View: Shops must alter ways to attract, retain talent
    • SEMA scholarships and loan forgiveness now available
      WTC hosting webinar Jan. 20 on load-capacity standards
      Denver's Brian Sump named AAPEX Shop Owner of the Year
      DUB, TIS Wheels founder Myles Kovacs is SEMA Person of the Year
    • Trade groups oppose minimum wage increase proposal
      New stimulus package fixes PPP loan confusion
      Vaccine may usher sense of normalcy
      2020 Review: PPP loans give boost to small businesses
    • Michelin launching ‘eco-responsible' performance tire for sporty EVs
      Goodyear, Cooper deal creates tire production synergies
      Goodyear promotes Helsel to senior VP, global operations role
      Tire dealers see possibilities in Goodyear, Cooper deal
    • 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
      Tire changer types, tips and trends
      How to clear rim rust and corrosion
      An introduction to demounting, mounting and inflation
    • Video: Safety
      Customers
      Considerations for shop safety policies
      Introduction: Creating a culture of safety
    • Video: Tire Repair
      Essential tools, materials and equipment for tire repair
      An introduction to tire repair
      How to properly patch a puncture
    • Video: TMPS Service
      The life-saving work of TPMS
      An introduction to TPMS service
      The importance of proper relearn procedures
    • Video: Training
      Internship ideas to attract tech talent
      Choosing the right auto service tech school
      Intro: Finding and training technicians
    • Video:Vehicle Lifting
      The gravity of proper lift points
      Safety essentials when using jack stands
      An introduction to lifts and lift safety
    • Video: Wheel Torque
      The importance of torque specifications
      Introduction to proper wheel installation
      Torque check and recheck recommendations
  • 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
September 25, 2015 02:00 AM

General revving up promos for its 'brand with an attitude'

Bruce Davis
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    Tire Business photo by Bruce Davis
    Conti execs Jim Sicking (left), director of sales, Jochen Etzel, CEO, Travis Roffler, marketing director, and Bill Caldwell, vice president of marketing and sales, hosted 44 dealers and distributors from North and South America in Las Vegas.

    LAS VEGAS (Sept. 25, 2015) — As the year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of the General Tire brand wraps up, the General management team is planning to rev up the brand's two-year-old “Anywhere is Possible” promotional message with a new sports sponsorship campaign and some additional tire lines.

    General Tire brand owner Continental Tire the Americas L.L.C. expects to disclose the sports sponsorship agreement before year-end — perhaps as early as at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas the first week of November — according to Travis Roffler, director of marketing for Continental, who declined to be more specific at this time about the nature of the agreement.

    The sponsorship will complement and enhance the outdoor adventure persona Conti has been building for the General brand the past few years, Mr. Roffler told Tire Business at a three-day event in Las Vegas celebrating 100 years of the General brand.

    • This piece appears in the Sept. 28 print edition of Tire Business.

    Conti also intends to continue with and build on its off-road racing commitments with Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series and Best in the Desert — which Mr. Roffler said have helped Conti build the brand into the company's premium light truck tire offering and a solid complement to the Conti brand in the passenger segment — along with its sponsorship of Major League Fishing.

    As such, the brand has come a long way since it came perilously close to being phased out a decade ago during a several-year stretch of heavy losses by the North American tire business unit.

    It was at that time that Conti hired Mr. Roffler away from Toyo Tire North America Inc. and tasked him with helping redefine and revive the General brand, which at that time was little more than a collection of a handful of OE-derived models.

    “The first thing we had to do was convince Hannover (Conti management) that Conti needed the General brand. At that time everything was being questioned,...” Mr. Roffler said.

    Once management was on board with keeping the brand, he directed a team effort to essentially scrap the brand's entire portfolio at that time and come up with a replacement-segment-oriented lineup.

    Conti pulled the General brand out of OE for passenger cars while pushing it forward on the light truck side, he said.

    Tire Business photo by Bruce Davis

    Carl Renezeder, driver of the General Tire-sponsored entry in the LOORS Pro 4 and Pro 2 categories, briefs General Tire customers and guests on his team's work with General Tire on developing tires for the short-course style of off-road racing.

    Conti rolled out the by-now recognizable stylized GT logo in 2006 to replace the decades-old elongated “G” General logo and started an accelerated development program, using Conti's extensive R&D resources to bring out tire lines that could compete performance wise with other companies' Tier II offerings.

    Special emphasis was placed on the light truck category, Mr. Roffler said, where management saw above-average growth potential. The Grabber name, which had been in use since the mid-1990s and had recognition in the light truck segment, was refreshened to give the light truck line a more aggressive persona.

    The result is a “brand with attitude,” Mr. Roffler said, delivering reliability, performance and an American heritage.

    “We see General as an ‘all-American' brand,” he added, noting that this image is an important selling point in many overseas markets.

    Bill Caldwell, vice president, sales and marketing, noted that the North American management team's task now is to not let the company's commitment to the brand slip and instead to keep accelerating the product development cycle to stay current with—or even ahead of—the competition.

    “In many segments, we're competing with other companies' flag brands,” Mr. Caldwell said, referring to brands like Hankook, Kumho, Toyo, etc., in the light truck segment.

    “Ten years ago we were living with the fact that the brand was a niche product,” he said. “We've now decided we need to maintain a normal product cycle.”

    Mr. Roffler echoed that sentiment, saying, “We continue to ‘churn' the product lifecycle for General at a pace close to that of the Continental brand.”

    Keeping the brand's products fresh is essential to maintaining and expanding its place in the market, he said, while also acknowledging he and his North American colleagues have to keep convincing their European counterparts in R&D to develop tires that can weigh three to four times what the typical passenger tire weighs for European conditions is necessary.

    This task is particularly critical in the light truck segment, which is predominantly an Americas product category, owing to the vehicle parc mix, the two executives agreed.

    And that envelope will keep growing, Mr. Roffler said, with the brand's first 37-inch Grabber fitment due to be launched at the SEMA Show in 17-, 18- and 20-inch sizes for a range of off-road applications.

    Looking ahead, Mr. Roffler said customers should expect to see the General brand in market segments where it currently is not active.

    To mark the brand's centennial, Continental invited more than 140 key customers from around the world to Las Vegas to meet with executives, attend a Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series event at nearby Las Vegas Speedway and experience driving off-road buggies through the desert and a range of Dodge sports cars on a paved road course.

    Conti said it sells the General brand in 98 countries, a development that prompted parent Conti to declare General its second “global brand” alongside Continental.

    Among the North American dealerships represented were American Tire Distributors Holdings Inc.; Dealer Tire; Discount Tire/America's Tire; Dunn Tire; Sullivan Tire; Jack Williams Tire; K&M Tire; MotoStar & Auto Products; Pep Boys-Manny, Moe & Jack; Reliable Tire; U.S. AutoForce; TBC Corp.; Tire Rack; and Tire's Warehouse Inc.

    ________________________________________

    To reach this reporter: [email protected]; 330-865-6145; Twitter: @reifenmensch

    Related Articles
    General Tire to be ARCA race tire supplier
    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