Creative Wholesale/1st Chance Tire owners Chance Webb and Robbie Jenkins hosted the event, with Tri-Ace General Manager Homey Zhang and National Sales Manager Jack Bidding attending.
Messrs. Zhang and Bidding said the company is building the Taiwan factory because of Tri-Ace's growth internationally and to handle its anticipated increased tire volume in the U.S. The company currently has one plant in China, and Mr. Zhang said Tri-Ace holds more than 50 patents — from tire design, rubber compounding to manufacturing — from its team of engineers lead by Mark Ma.
It also was announced that Tri-Ace Tire U.S.A. — a newly established Tulsa, Okla.-based distribution company — is working to establish and grow the Tri-Ace brand throughout the country. To assist in those efforts, Tri-Ace said it has hired a number of sales associates to work with established and emerging customers.
The newest members of the Tri-Ace team include Chip Beitel, South Central U.S. sales manager; and Thomas Varughese, Houston warehouse manager. The company said it is working to recruit additional sales talent to assist with growing the brand in other regions in the U.S.
Also during the July 11 press conference, Mr. Bidding unveiled a 32,000-mile warranty for Tri-Ace's Mark Ma-designed Dakar MT-III for full-size pickups. According to Tri-Ace, the tire often is used on the off-road racing circuit and is favored for its durability.
The new warranty will be effective by year end.
Meanwhile, Australian drift racing champion Josh Robinson has signed a three-year deal with Tri-Ace and will become the race driver representative and spokesman for the tire maker's drifting race program. He will attend exhibitions and racing venues to showcase Tri-Ace drift race tire products, according to the company.
