BLOOMSBURG, Pa. — Steven Shannon Tire & Auto Centers has ventured into retreading to support its growing truck-tire business and is working exclusively with Pre-Q Galgo Corp. as its tread rubber supplier.
The dealership built a 9,000-sq.-ft. facility near its Bloomsburg headquarters to house the retread production. The facility is designed for daily capacity of 200 precure units.
The 35-year-old company tapped Central Marketing Inc. and Pre-Q to lay out and engineer the plant, where production started Dec. 17.
The family-owned company evaluated adding retreading for a while, according to Herb Shannon, vice president. The dealership's recent expansions — adding eight stores in the past two years — have helped build sufficient distribution to support the decision to go into retreading, he added.
The company operates 31 points of sale throughout central Pennsylvania and central New York — 27 of which have the resources to service commercial customers. The total includes six Trombley Tire stores in New York acquired last June.
Steve Shannon Tire handles three truck tire brands: Blackhawk, Giti and Hankook. Commercial has represented about 5% of annual sales in recent years, according to survey information provided to Tire Business, but the company expects that to double to about 10% in the coming years.
Jesse Shannon, co-CEO and co-owner of Steve Shannon Tire, cited Pre-Q Galgo's "excellent reputation for quality products and outstanding customer service" as reasons his company chose it as its tread rubber supplier.
Likewise, Eduardo Nava, Pre-Q Galgo vice president, lauded Steve Shannon Tire for its "excellent reputation for servicing its customers with the highest standard of quality and service."
Pre-Q Galgo is the Dallas-based subsidiary of Industrias de hule Galgo S.A. de C.V., the Mexico City-based parent company.