PHOENIX — Kenda Rubber Co. Ltd. prides itself on living in the margins — offering high performance at a great price — to give tire dealers plenty of wiggle room to make a sale.
Despite moving capacity for North America to Vietnam from Taiwan, a summer shutdown due to the COVID-19 Delta variant and the continued supply-chain issues around the globe, the company said it has remained focused on growing its U.S. presence by proving its worth.
"You've got to have the right sizes, and you have to have the right look. And the people who have it, they have to find it performs better than they expected," Brandon Stotsenburg, vice president of the automotive division of American Kenda Rubber Industrial Co. Ltd., said.
The Taiwan-based company has evolved over the years, investing heavily in its research and development capabilities. The second generation of Kenda's off-road Klever line is a prime example, the company said.
Kenda Tire USA Inc. showcased the Klever line for a group of tire dealers, wholesalers and media during the Kenda Light Truck Boot Camp in Phoenix, held Sept. 27- Oct. 1. They led a team of Jeeps along a route known as the "backway to Crown King," north to Senator Highway to Prescott, Ariz.