Piedmont Truck Tires has completed the conversion of its Graham retread plant to the ContiLifeCycle processes and begun production of retreads using the ContiTread flat precured tread rubber.
Greensboro, N.C.-based Piedmont converted the facility from the Goodyear certified retread process, which it had used for the past four years, along with making Continental and General truck tires the dealership’s featured brands.
The affiliation between Piedmont and Continental Tire the Americas began in late 2010 when Piedmont started selling new Conti-brand truck tires, Continental said.
“We chose to extend our relationship with Continental because we believe in the quality of their products and see they are moving aggressively to become an industry leader,” said Dan Rice, president of Piedmont Truck Tires.
“Continental has proven to be a true partner, and we are prepared to take the steps needed to support the growth of both businesses.”
In the process of converting its 155,000-sq.-ft. Graham plant to the ContiLifeCycle process, Piedmont Truck Tires adopted Continental’s proprietary manufacturing control software, CLC Soft, becoming the first licensee to do so, Conti said.
CLC Soft provides an interface to manage the retread process from tire collection to data delivery to the retreader’s enterprise resource planning systems, Conti said. By running as a cloud-based solution, or locally stored on any web-enabled device, CLC Soft provides dealers with flexibility, Conti said.
Using the ContiTread products allows a retreader to produce products featuring the same pattern designs, rubber compounding and tread technology that are built into new Conti-brand truck tires, Continental said.
Piedmont did not say what it invested to convert the plant but said it has a capacity for 300 tires per shift. Employment at the Graham facility is around 50, including those in the retread plant, warehouse, office, etc.
Piedmont becomes the seventh retreader in the U.S. to adopt the ContiLifeCycle process and the second in the Carolinas, alongside DLS Retreading Inc. in Fort Mill, S.C.
“Our dealer partners in the ContiLifeCycle network service both national and regional fleet customers who want to extend the performance of their Continental truck tires into the second, third or even fourth lifetime,” said Paul Williams, executive vice president for truck tires in the Americas.
Piedmont Truck Tires was incorporated in 1978 as a subsidiary of Piedmont Ford Truck Sales in Greensboro. In 1984, a new management team was formed for Piedmont Truck Tires, which included all three of the current owners — Jim Rice, Mitch Glover and Dan Rice.
Piedmont operates nine commercial truck centers throughout North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, including its newest, in Columbia, S.C., which opened in June.
Goodyear has not commented thus far on how it’s servicing its customers throughout the Carolinas and Virginia who previously were serviced by Piedmont. The company did say in mid-June it was preparing to expand its Goodyear Commercial Tire & Service network in the Greensboro market, but since then has declined to comment in detail on what actions it has taken or intends to take.
In a prepared statement, Goodyear said: “Our network of Goodyear Commercial Tire & Service Centers and independent tire dealers continues to provide premium Goodyear products, services and tools to fleets in the Carolinas and Virginia via many points of sale and service.”