Hercules adding specialty tires to U.S. portfolio

FINDLAY, Ohio — Hercules Tire & Rubber Co. is adding a range of specialty commercial tires, ranging from skid steer to radial OTR, to its U.S. portfolio for the first time.

The range will cover 14 key industrial commercial product categories — from skid steer, backhoe and compact utility to bias and radial OTR up to 23.5-inch rim diameters — with radial E3/L3 loader tires the first products available.

Jedd Emans, vice president of marketing, called the move into these industrial categories a "natural evolution" for Hercules, building on the firm's growth in the medium truck sector over the last several years.

Hercules did not disclose expected pricing range, but Mr. Emans referred to the new product range as offering "exceptional quality and value."

Hercules is sourcing most of the new line from Camso Ltd.'s Solideal operation in Sri Lanka; these will be marked "Hercules by Solideal."

American Tire Distributors Inc. will distribute the new lines throughout the U.S., Hercules said. The expanded portfolio will play a "key role in ATD's approach to serving the specialty commercial market," the Findlay-based ATD subsidiary said.

The E3/L3 product, the Hercules HDR 325 Radial, will be available in 17.5- to 23.5-inch widths. This line is manufactured by China's Sailun Tire Group.

The line features cut- and chip-resistant compounding and a traction-optimized tread design for use in both construction and quarry applications.

The Hercules by Solideal products will be backed by a five-year limited protection policy covering defects in workmanship or materials. Complete product information can be found at herculestirecommercial.com, a site dedicated to the firm's truck, trailer and industrial/OTR tires.