Gripmax opens Spokane office to support U.S. product line launch

LAS VEGAS — Qingdao Grip Tyre Co. Ltd., a Qingdao, China-based private-brand marketer, has opened a U.S. sales office in Spokane, Wash., to support the launch of its Gripmax-brand tire portfolio in the U.S.

The company, in business since the early 2010s and already active with the Gripmax brand in Europe and other international markets, is focusing heavily on the SUV/light truck tire markets initially.

The company started shipping product earlier this year to selected wholesalers in the Eastern, Southeastern and Western regions, a Gripmax Tires Inc. spokesperson told Tire Business at the 2024 SEMA Show, and is seeking/evaluating other wholesalers to represent the firm in the Mideast, Midwest and Rocky Mountain regions.

The company pledges a degree of market exclusivity to those wholesale distributors that agree to handle the Gripmax product. The firm said it is pitching the new brand as a Tier 2 quality product at Tier 3 pricing.

The company is offering SUV/LT tires in four iterations — all-terrain (A/T), mud-terrain (M/T), rugged-terrain (R/T) and extreme-terrain (X/T) — in 300 sizes covering 16- to 26-inch rim diameter sizes in addition to some niche sizes as well.

A highway-terrain (H/T) version is being developed for launch in 2025.

Some customers may be familiar with Gripmax already through its range of Maxgrip-branded whitewall and raised white- and red-lettered vintage tires. Gripmax also is offering a limited range of semi-slick street/competition tires and is planning to add a range of ultra-terrain-vehicle (UTV) tires in 2025.

Qingdao Grip Tyre is sourcing the Grip Max range for the U.S. from factories in Cambodia, Serbia and Thailand, plants operated by Jiangsu General Science Technology Co. Ltd., Linglong Tire Group and Zhongce Rubber Co. Ltd.

Qingdao Grip maintains its own technical team in China, the firm said, to develop tread patterns/designs that are distinct from the manufacturers’ product ranges, including sidewall cosmetics.

It also operates quality inspection teams at each factory where its products to ensure tire integrity before shipping.