Myers Tire is under the umbrella of Myers Distribution, the product side of Myers Industries Inc.
"We're excited about the MXP launch," Paul Johnson, vice president for Myers Distribution, said. "It's going to represent a unique set of attributes in the market and some key lines we think will be good for our company and, of course, our customers."
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Myers Distribution includes Myers Tire Supply, Mohawk Rubber Sales, Tuffy Manufacturing and Patch Rubber Co., as well as many partners throughout the tire, tool and under-vehicle service industry.
Myers acquired the assets of aftermarket distributor Mohawk Rubber Sales of New England Inc., including four distribution centers in June.
"We're very excited to bring them in," Johnson said, adding while Mohawk "was really our most substantial competitor," both company cultures are focused on customer service and therefore blended well.
"Our legacy Mohawk team and the legacy Myers team, we put these two together into what we think is really special and something that the industry really hasn't seen yet," he said.
While electric vehicles may be the challenge many in the industry are most worried about, Johnson said consolidation in the industry is going to be the biggest force for change.
"I think consolidation is what's really going to happen in our industry … with in suppliers, distribution and service providers at all levels.
"Customers are going to become larger over time and more sophisticated over time, and for Myers Distribution, we need be make sure that we're ready for that."
He said they are focused on the balance between equally serving both small independent shops and national entities, and the Mohawk deal will benefit how they serve those larger customers.
"That scope and scale, we think, is critical," he said. "That's a big part of why we wanted to partner with Mohawk, so we are in a better position to handle that kind of customer."
For the customer, adding Mohawk means more service coast-to-coast, Johnson said.
Myers now has nine distribution centers in the U.S., three in Central America, and "we have our own manufacturing for rubber patch, including two joint ventures in India to help us make a high quality, low cost products," he said.
Myers has more than 240 people "on the phones" handling customer service, he added.
"We have stability. … We're part of company well on its way to billion in sales in Myers Industries — a very stable and well capitalized company," he said.
Johnson said suppliers are "critical" to their operation and a driver for decision making.
"We want to be sure that suppliers understand that without them, literally, we're going hungry," he said. "Everything we do depends on the key element of working with suppliers.
"When we partner with those suppliers, our commitment — and we think about this every day at work and across the field — is that we will do exactly that, we will be very aggressive with our key suppliers to make sure they feel comfortable that they have chosen the right partner to work with."
The foundation of the 89-year-old Akron, Ohio-based company was built on customer service, Johnson said. While technology has changed quite a bit in that time, Johnson said the company's founders, the Myers brothers, would find the same commitment to customer service.
"They might be surprised, they may not understand things like ADAS alignment … but they would see that customer enthusiasm and can-do spirit, and I think, feel comfortable that their legacy continues."
Myers held its first national supplier meeting in Arizona in July. The 2023 meeting will be held in Cleveland, Ohio, in January.