MTD Exclusive Q&A: NTW Continues ‘Strategic Investments’
Wholesale tire distribution is “in a state of significant transformation,” says Rodger Smith, chief operating officer of National Tire Wholesale.
MTD: Can you bring us up to speed on National Tire Wholesale's (NTW) activities over the last few years? Have you added locations and/or enhanced NTW's capabilities during that time?
Smith: We’ve been laser-focused on our 'supply chain as a service' initiative, which aims to remove redundancies and drive efficiencies in the automotive retail and distribution space to make it easier for our customers to conduct business, leveraging both NTW and TBC Corp.’s capabilities and network of 110 distribution centers around the U.S.
We’re well-positioned to support our customers as they continue to expand into new markets, both with managing their supply chain operations and by offering factory-direct, truckload and same-day deliveries of brand-name and proprietary brand tires.
In terms of new locations, we recently celebrated the opening of our new distribution center in Nampa, Idaho, which is strategically located to provide our customers across Idaho and eastern Oregon with faster deliveries and more efficient service.
We are focused on excellence at every turn and our presence in the Boise market demonstrates our commitment to ensuring our customers have the products they need, when they need them.
MTD: What's your take on the state of the wholesale tire distribution channel in the U.S. as we move into 2025?
Smith: The wholesale tire distribution business is in a state of significant transformation. We believe there will be a desire for more strategic alignment between retailers and manufacturers and national distributors, with retailers and suppliers opting to leverage the supply chain capabilities of companies like NTW to increase efficiencies and reduce operating costs.
MTD: Have the shipping challenges of the past several years normalized or are things still in a state of flux? If the latter, how is NTW navigating those challenges?
Smith: The shipping challenges of the past several years have normalized to a degree. However, there will always be challenges that arise for any product that is imported due to international trade, port disruptions, tariffs and more.
We have strong relationships with suppliers and manufacturers and engage in ongoing discussions to stay ahead of the curve and find solutions to navigate any potential challenges for our end-customers.
MTD: Many distributors invested time and energy in right-sizing their inventory levels during late-2022 and 2023. How would you describe NTW's current inventory levels?
Smith: Effective inventory management is a key driver of operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Through our thoughtful demand-planning process and strong relationships with our suppliers, we’ve optimized our inventory flow to drive efficiencies and implemented a just-in-time inventory strategy, so that we can respond to changing customer demands in a timely manner.
MTD: Is NTW planning to pick up and carry any new tire brands this year or the next?
Smith: NTW, a subsidiary of TBC Corp., offers tires from top brands across a variety of price points to address our customers’ needs for passenger, SUV, light truck, commercial (and) specialty tires and more. We are in constant contact with our customers and suppliers and regularly discuss strategic opportunities to innovate and create value with additions to our product portfolio. We look forward to sharing more updates in the new year.
MTD: What can we expect to see from NTW during the rest of 2024 and next year? What will be the company's top priorities?
Smith: We’ll continue to take measures to optimize NTW’s supply chain and make strategic investments to exceed our customers’ expectations and position TBC as the distributor of choice in the industry.
