FINDLAY,
OHIO - Cooper Tire & Rubber Company (NYSE:
CTB) announced the purchase of Max Trac Tire Company, Inc.,
better known as Mickey Thompson Performance Tires &
Wheels. The company, with leased locations in Stow, Ohio
and Temecula, California, designs, develops and distributes
specialty tires for the street, strip, track and off-road
racing. The purchase price was not disclosed.
Two
well-known brand names are a part of this purchase. Mickey
Thompson and Dick Cepek are highly respected brands among
motorsport enthusiasts in the performance, racing and off-road
markets.
Cooper
Tire has been a supplier to Mickey Thompson for a number
of years, providing specialty and off-road tires under the
Mickey Thompson and Dick Cepek names. In addition, Mickey
Thompson has distributed and provided trackside assistance
for Cooper’s Avon racing tires, which are produced
in Melksham, England. There are no anticipated changes in
Mickey Thompson’s current relationship with suppliers
of tires, wheels or other accessories. This business will
continue to be managed from the Stow, Ohio location.
“We’ve
had a great partnership for years and now we can combine
our resources for even more opportunities around the world,”
said Mark F. Armstrong, president of Cooper’s North
American Tire Division. Lee McMannis, the owner of Mickey
Thompson, was equally as enthusiastic about the acquisition.
“Cooper brings enormous opportunity and resources
to our rich racing heritage so the prospects are unlimited
for Mickey Thompson employees and further penetration of
our various markets.” McMannis will continue
to be associated with Mickey Thompson and Cooper.
“We
will immediately start to identify areas in which we can
take advantage of Mickey Thompson’s expertise and
name recognition to help promote Cooper’s image in
the racing, performance and off-road tire arena,”
said Armstrong. Cooper recently announced that Johnny Unser,
Indy car circuit driver since 1993, will be a performance
tire advisor for Cooper, an indication of its plans to grow
significantly in the Ultra High Performance market segment.
Cooper
has a 17 percent market share in the U.S. passenger tire
replacement market, much of which is considered broadline
tires. “We have an aggressive plan to grow sales
in the H-V-Z segments which are the fastest-growing tire
lines in the U.S. today. And, we have an even stronger presence
in the radial light truck and SUV segments. This Mickey
Thompson deal, with its racing and off-road connections,
will help us in these efforts,” concluded Armstrong.