PODCAST: Universal Tire on why dealers should avoid Chinese tires

In this week’s podcast Sarah Mitchell talks to Joe Arisso, Caribbean and Latin American sales representative for Florida-based Universal Tire International.

Hit by the U.S. government’s new tariffs on Chinese-made tires, Universal came up with solutions to get ahead of the game and ensure quality affordable tires were available for their customers.

You can listen to the podcast here:

Or, if you prefer, you can read the Show Notes:

Show Notes

Here are some key take-outs:

• Universal has moved its truck tire production to Thailand to avoid the tariff from tires made in China. The new Thai-made tires are of a better quality than the Chinese-made tires.

• Chinese tires have an oily residue, but the Thai tires — or U.S. tires — have a more matte appearance.

“The raw materials that go into a Thailand-made product must be about ten times more superior than the quality of the materials that go into a China-made tire.” — Joe Arisso

• Arisso recommends dealers and distributors stop buying tires from China because the regulatory and tax situation is too risky — tariffs could go up at any time.

• Environmental laws in some states are also set to provide problems for tire dealers. California, for example, wants to ensure all trucks on their roads are SmartWay verified.

Here are the links you might need

• The Universal Tire website is here.

Have you heard the one about…

Recently Sarah spoke to Bob Stewart and Dan Wheeler at SD International, who offered a big opportunity for dealers tired of the big manufacturers.

And last week she looked at how to take your tire dealership mobile, with 2U Mobile Solutions’ founder Scott Blair.

Tagged: Universal Tire International

PODCAST: Universal Tire on why dealers should avoid Chinese tires