HUDSON, Ohio—Trimax Tire is finding opportunity in a sea of shortages.
The Brea, Calif.-based importer—the U.S. operation of global exporter Maxon International Co.—deals solely with Chinese brands too small to have a U.S. office.
"With COVID-19 disrupting the global supply chain—plus new tariffs from South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam—there's been an opportunity for value products from China," Director of Sales Chris Tolbert said.
"Freight costs have escalated, price increases are sometimes monthly, consumers are looking for a value option," he said from his office in Hudson.
In June 2020, when tariffs hit other Asian countries, importing from China came back into play, Tolbert said.
Trimax specializes in larger diameter mud-terrain (MTs), rugged-terrain (RTs), and ultra-high performance (UHP) tires, Tolbert said.
It exclusively handles several brands including:
- Haida of Sichuan Haida Tyre Group, Sichuan China;
- Farroad of Shandong Fengyuan Tyre, Zaozhuang City, China;
- Joyroad of Shandong Zhongyi Rubber, Dawang, Shandong China;
- MileKing of Sichuan Haida Tyre Group, Sichuan China; and
- Kapsen of Shandong Huasheng Rubber, Dongying Shandong, China, a recent addition.
The company's focus on China has paid off. Trimax did $60 million in sales last fiscal year. The importer is looking to do $90 million in sales this fiscal year, according to its responses to the annual Tire Business brand survey.