GREENVILLE, S.C. — Valley Tire Co. Inc. of Charleroi, Pa., is switching its retread process to Michelin Retread Technologies, ending a 22-year relationship with Bandag Inc.
Valley Tire President Jim Stankiewicz said he decided to convert to MRT´s precure retreading system because "Michelin is coming out with new technologies and tread designs that have become attractive to fleets."
Founded in 1979, Valley Tire operates retread plants in Charleroi and Windber, Pa., and Tonawanda, N.Y. The firm will consolidate its Pennsylvania plants into a new 58,000-sq.-ft. facility in Charleroi in an effort to save money and increase efficiency, Stankiewicz said. The plant is set to open in April.
While not giving a date when the process switch will occur, he said daily capacity should increase to 800 retreads from 600.
Valley Tire also operates 14 commercial tire locations in western and central Pennsylvania and New York. The firm opened an off-the-road and underground mining tire facility in Logan, W.Va., in January.
The dealership is the 25th-largest commercial dealership and was one of Bandag´s 20 largest accounts in North America. The company already sells new Michelin truck tires, along with Bridgestone, Yokohama and BFGoodrich brands.
With Valley Tire´s two plants, there will be 71 sites operating in North America using Michelin retread technology, according to Michelin North America Inc., parent of Michelin Retread Technologies. Bandag-which is being purchased by Bridgestone America Holdings Inc.-has about 386 franchised plants in the U.S. and Canada.