“We’re trying to re-establish ourselves at the premium end of the performance aftermarket,” Todd Pickens, vice president of sales for Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels, told Modern Tire Dealer during the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show.
“We spent a few years chasing volume plays and that’s just not Mickey Thompson," he noted.New products – including Mickey Thompson’s largest Department of Transportation-approved light truck tire, the Baja Pro XS – will be central to the Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. subsidiary’s “back to the basics” strategy.
The Baja Pro XS will be available in 10 sizes, ranging from 35 inches to 58 inches, in 2020.
Mickey Thompson also is adding 15 key sizes to its Baja Boss extreme mud terrain tire next year. The tire premiered at last year’s SEMA Show and has been well-received by its target audience.
“Our role at Cooper… is to push the envelope on aggressive product looks and performance,” said Pickens.
“We spent a lot of money at last year’s Moab, Utah, (Jeep event), reintroducing ourselves to the Jeep enthusiast crowd. It’s a profitable niche and we bring value to the end user.”
