Editorial
Tire dealers in the last two years have had to balance finding what the customer wants and just finding a tire that fits their vehicle in their price range.
Demand for tires is strong, so the tire industry is strong. The real ebb and flow of the tire industry happens within specific segments as consumer choice and technology evolve. Fickle is the customer.
The word "war" may not elicit the same response from one generation to the next. For the young population, this is the first time they have really seen a war unfold in real time.
How fast are EVs evolving? Wayne Gerdes just drove a Porsche from Los Angeles to New York City with a total charge time of less than two and a half hours.
In a nutshell, most aftermarket sectors not only have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, but some have eclipsed it. But with all this good news comes one cautionary three-letter word: W-A-R.
It's time for tire dealers and auto repair shops to make their voices heard.
It sure seems like proof we are living in the "future." Automation, unlike 1980s movies made it seem, isn't replacing people more than they are making their jobs better.
In a quiet year marked by supply issues, the big deals happening in the retail-tire industry have defined 2021.
Aside from actual tire sales to support the work, the tire and auto parts industries may benefit most from supply-chain improvements.
Roy Littlefield and the late Martin J. Barry will be welcomed to the Tire Industry Hall of Fame.