Nearly two weeks ago, the United Auto Workers (UAW) union hoisted picket signs at three Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Stellantis plants, seeking wage hikes and other concessions from the Detroit "Big Three.”
Last week, the UAW expanded the work stoppage to include 38 GM and Stellantis auto parts distribution centers.
Original equipment (OE) tire manufacturers that supply the three automakers are watching the strike closely.
A spokesperson from Bridgestone Americas Inc. - which supplies tires to Ford, GM and Stellantis - told MTD, “Our team is continuing to monitor this situation closely, maintain open lines of communication with all of our key stakeholders, and utilize our flexible and agile management to adjust as needed.”
Continental Tire the Americas LLC told MTD that its manufacturing plants “will continue at normal capacity.”
Officials from Hankook Tire said, “Hankook is continuing to monitor the situation closely.”
Pirelli Tire North America told MTD, "We are closely following the situation and negotiations between the UAW and GM, Ford and Stellantis. We are preparing our own contingency and logistics plans in the event that we need to mitigate any impact on our business."
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. stated, "We are closely monitoring the UAW situation and have the ability to shift production to our replacement portfolio to minimize impact to our business."
"We will continue to work with all our customers to ensure we deliver products and services best suited for their needs," a Michelin spokesperson told MTD.
OE share by brand
Michelin North America Inc. and Continental Tire the Americas LLC – through the former’s Michelin and BFGoodrich brands and the latter’s Continental and General brands – supply roughly the same percentage of OE tires to Ford, according to MTD’s 2023 Facts Issue, which lists OE consumer tire market share, by brand, at 12 North American auto manufacturers. (Michelin and Continental, as manufacturers, each enjoy around 27% share.)
Goodyear is the next biggest supplier of OE tires to Ford, with 24% share.
Hankook has 10% share at Ford, followed by Pirelli Tire North America Inc. (9%), Bridgestone (2%) and Toyo (1%).
Goodyear is GM’s biggest OE supplier, with 36% share, according to MTD estimates, followed by Bridgestone, which, combining its Bridgestone and Firestone brands, enjoys 26% share; Michelin (22%); Continental, which, combining its Continental and General brands, has 8% share; Hankook (6%); and Pirelli (2%).
Goodyear also is Stellantis’ biggest OE tire supplier (33%), according to MTD estimates, followed by Bridgestone/Firestone (20%); Michelin/BFGoodrich (17%); Continental/General (9%); Yokohama Tire Corp. (6%); Sumitomo Rubber North America Inc., whose Falken brand has 4%; Nexen Tire America (4%), Pirelli (3%), Hankook (2%) and Kumho Tire USA Corp. (2%.)
Overall OE brand shares
Across the 12 total auto manufacturers listed in the 2023 MTD Facts Issue, the Goodyear brand has 22.3% of North American OE consumer tire brand share.
The Michelin brand has 18.7%, followed by Continental 14.5%; Bridgestone (13.3%); Hankook (7.6%); Pirelli (3.9%); Firestone (3.7%); Falken (3.5%); General (2.4%); Kumho (2.4%); Yokohama (2%); Michelin’s BFGoodrich brand (1.8%); Nexen (1.6%); Toyo (1.2%); and Goodyear’s Dunlop brand (1%). Other brands make up the remaining 0.1%. (All of the above also are based on MTD estimates.)
A full look at OE market share can be found on page 38 of the January 2023 MTD Facts Issue.
