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2014 Ram 3500 Laramie Diesel For Sale
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Check out Custom Ram Truck listing!
Toyo Hires Randy Gaetz as U.S.A. VP of Sales
Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. announced that Randy Gaetz will join Toyo as the VP of sales next month. Mr. Gaetz has 35 years of experience in multiple roles at multiple companies. Before joining Toyo, he was the VP of Sales and Marketing at Del-Nat Tire. Prior to that, he spent time at GPX International, Tire Centers, and Groupe Michelin. Mr. Gaetz will report to Toyo U.S.A. COO Roy Bromfield.
“I am very excited to welcome Randy Gaetz to our team and to this critical sales leadership role,” says Bromfield. “Randy is an up-through-the-ranks tire industry executive, and his expertise will provide a significant benefit both to our dealers and to the future growth of the Toyo Tires brand in the U.S.”
Gaetz has extensive experience working with tire manufacturers and dealers, both in consumer and commercial products. Gaetz succeeds John Hagan who was recently appointed Senior Director of Sales for Toyo Tires’ North American OEM group.
For more information visit www.toyotires.com.
Toyo Tires “Drive Within” Sweepstakes Awards UFC® 167 Experience
Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. will send one lucky fan on an exclusive, behind-the-scenes trip to Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 167 in Las Vegas as the grand prize in the Toyo Tires “The Drive Within. What’s Yours?” sweepstakes running now through Oct. 13, 2013 on Facebook.
The Toyo Tires Facebook page features videos of UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz and others telling what drives them in and out of the OctagonTM.
Fans are encouraged to share their own drive within while entering for a chance to win the exclusive UFC 167 Experience from Toyo Tires. This grand prize package includes:
* Round trip airfare for two to Las Vegas and a three-night stay in a deluxe hotel suite;
* Tickets to UFC 167: St-Pierre vs. Hendricks on Nov. 16;
* Dinner with UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis;
* Tickets to the UFC 167 After Party;
* Behind-the-scenes access to the UFC 167 weigh-ins;
* Photos in the UFC Octagon; and
* $1,000.
“As the Official Tire of the UFC we wanted to create a promotion around our fans and athletes, representing our Driven to Perform philosophy,” says Amy Coleman, senior director of marketing, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. “The Drive Within sweepstakes gave us this opportunity. It showcases several amazing UFC fighters and gives fans the chance to share what drives them while entering to win a trip to remember.”
Visit www.facebook.com/toyotires for complete details.
Toyo Tires is the Official Tire of the UFC. More information can be found at www.toyotires.com.
Toyo Fights the Chinese and Others
It appears that Toyo Tire (Americas) is accussing three Chinese tire makers (Shandong Yongtai Chemical, Shandong Linglong Tyre, and South China Tire & Rubber) of patent infringement. The complaint (61 pages), was made to the U.S. Int’l Trade Commission (ITC). The complaint also included 19 importers, who still have yet to respond.
The ITC is asking these companies whether there is a tire in the U.S. that could compete directly with the tire that Toyo is trying to ban. We believe there are numerous tires that compete directly with Toyo, but we’ll see.
Included in Toyo’s complaint is that some of the light truck tires (including Nitto) manufactured or imported by these parties infringe on existing Toyo design patents in the U.S. Toyo wants the tires from these manufacturers or importers to be banned from the U.S.
“…over the years developed and introduced passenger and light truck tires with designs that are both innovative and unique,” Toyo said in a press release. “Toyo is taking this step to protect the company, its customers and associates from unfair competition by enforcing its intellectual property rights.”
The real interesting thing about the article is that MHT Alloys, Wheel Warehouse, Unicorn Tire and Lexani Tires Worldwide were named in the suit. These are pretty big importers and retailers, so not sure how this will go over with them. Let’s see what happens.
Toyo Considering Expanding U.S. Facility
According to multiple sources including Bloomberg News and Automotive News, Toyo Tires is considering expanding the capacity of their plant in Georgia. It’s still in the early stages, but this would be good news for the U.S. economy and the Georgia economy. It likely won’t have an impact on the price of Toyo tires, which are at the higher end, but could impact how quickly they get to market.
As you may know, Toyo is a Japanese tire company founded in 1945. The company also owns the Nitto brand. Toyo was the first Japanese tire maker to establish a U.S. subsidiary and is currently one of the more active participants in U.S. motorsports. It’s great to see a foreign company investing in the region and continuing to build on their success. We constantly hear good things about Toyo and see their products everywhere, so hopefully this Japanese/U.S. partnership will continue with great success.
TOYO TIRES RENEWS UFC SPONSORSHIP FOR 2013
Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) have announced an extension on their partnership through 2013. The agreement marks the sixth year that Toyo Tires will sponsor the fastest growing sports organization in the world. The partnership provides Toyo Tires with exposure across UFC’s unrivaled platforms and includes an extended presence inside the Octagon during live events, which are broadcast to more than 800 million households worldwide.
“The UFC continues to be an incredible success story and has proven to be an outstanding marketing partner for Toyo Tires through the years,” said Amy Coleman, senior director of marketing, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. “The UFC provides a worldwide marketing platform for Toyo Tires that has no seasonality and one of the largest, most socially-engaged fan bases in the world. We look forward to continued growth as we embark on another exciting year with the UFC and our mutual fans.”
“We are proud of the strong partnership that we have built with Toyo Tires since 2007 and we look forward to the continued growth of our relationship,” said Michael Mossholder, Vice President of Global Marketing Partnerships for UFC. “Both brands are driven to perform and show desire to excel in everything we do. We always look to partner with premium brands and category leaders.”
The partnership includes an expanded presence for Toyo Tires across UFC’s partner networks, FUEL TV and FX, as well as pay-per-view broadcasts. Toyo Tires will have fully integrated campaigns and digitally driven national promotions on UFC.com that include digital banners, video features and home page takeovers. UFC.com averages more than 6.7 million unique visitors per month worldwide and continues to be a top destination for UFC coverage and behind-the-scenes access.
Toyo Tires will also continue to reach UFC fans through experiential marketing activities such as having a presence at UFC tailgate parties and autograph signings. The Toyo Tires 80-foot big rig display continues to be hit at UFC tailgates where a wide variety of custom vehicles are on display to show off the applications for the full line of Toyo Tires products. The big rig display is expected to make several appearances during 2013 including UFC Fan Expo and Fight Week, scheduled for July.
Toyo Tires also leverages its relationship with the UFC through athlete autograph signings and meet and greets with fans. The Toyo Tires booth at the 2012 SEMA Show featured three days of autograph signings and appearances by over 10 UFC superstars. UFC athletes affiliated with Toyo Tires include bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, middleweight Mark Munoz and lightweight Anthony Pettis.
UFC is the premier mixed martial arts organization worldwide, producing more than 30 live events annually to 145 countries and territories in 28 different languages. Financial terms of the agreement will not be released.
SoCalTrucks.com is excited to see Toyo renewing its partnership with UFC and continuing to build the sport. So many manufacturers of tires, wheels, lifts and other aftermarket components for lifted trucks don’t support the activities of those who own big trucks. Things like snowboarding, surfing, motocross, UFC, and wakeboarding. It’s great to see Toyo stepping up and writing a check. Well done.
About Toyo Tires
Established in 1966, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. represents the innovation, quality, performance, and excellent service that Toyo Tires has delivered worldwide for more than 65 years.
The company offers a complete selection of premium replacement tires for nearly every make and model including high performance cars, luxury vehicles, light trucks, and SUVs as well as commercial trucks. Popular consumer product lines include the ultra-high performance Proxes tires, Open Country tires for light trucks and SUVs, Versado tires for luxury passenger cars, and the value line of Extensa passenger car tires. Many of the tires are built in the United States at their state-of-the-art factory in Bartow County, Georgia.
Learn more at www.toyotires.com and connect with the community at Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. In 2012, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, which airs on FX.
In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries, to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide, in 28 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with nearly 2.4 million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs and video games, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, a new franchise in development with EA, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.
Toyo Tires Partners with Stadium SUPER Trucks
Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp announced its partnership with Robby Gordon OFF-ROAD’s Stadium SUPER Trucks (SST), becoming the first tire manufacturer to sign-up for the 2013 inaugural season of thrilling, stadium-style off-road racing.
Robby Gordon OFF-ROAD’s Stadium SUPER Trucks is a new breed of off-road featuring live motorsports, bringing back what was once the concept of legendary racer Mickey Thompson. Robby Gordon’s new concept of Stadium racing involves high-powered off-road trucks racing on challenging dirt tracks consisting of huge jumps, crossovers, and tight corners. The 2013 season will be comprised of 12 heart-pounding events providing action in the greatest venues across North America.
Toyo Tires will have multiple Stadium SUPER Trucks equipped with its popular Open Country M/T including that of No. 7 Robby Gordon. Toyo Tires first partnered with Gordon in 2006 and have maintained a winning relationship ever since. Gordon has delivered multiple championships, wins and podium finishes for the Toyo Tires brand. Accomplishments include the 2012 Best in the Desert Class 1500 Champion and Best in the Desert Grand Champion, 2009 SCORE Overall Point Champion and SCORE Trophy-Truck Champion, Overall 2006 Baja 1000 Winner and many Dakar Rally Stage wins.
Additional drivers representing Toyo Tires in the series will be announced at a later date. Toyo Tires will also be the presenting tire sponsor at two televised events including the Season Opener at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ on April 6. “To have Toyo Tires come on board as the first tire manufacturer for Stadium SUPER Trucks Series is a big deal,” said Series President Robby Gordon. “I’ve had a great relationship with Toyo Tires over my racing career and I think it’s great for them to join our series and understand my vision for the future of off-road racing. I’m thankful and excited to start providing some great events for fans to enjoy.”
“Robby Gordon’s new Stadium SUPER Truck series will take off-road racing to the next level, introducing the sport to a new and larger audience both in stadiums across North America and on NBC television,” said Amy Coleman, senior director of marketing, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. “We look forward to being a part of the excitement and competition while showcasing the quality and performance of our tires on super trucks driven by the world’s best off-road racers.”
All 12 SST events in 2013 will be televised via tape delay on NBC networks, seven on NBC and five on NBC Sports. Check local listings for channels and times. Venues include the University of Phoenix Stadium (Glendale, AZ), Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach (Long Beach, CA), Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (Los Angeles, CA), Qualcomm Stadium (San Diego, CA), Edward Jones Dome (St. Louis, MO), Soldier Field (Chicago, IL), The Georgia Dome (Atlanta, GA), Cowboys Stadium (Dallas/Arlington, EX), Metro Dome (Minneapolis, MN), Sam Boyd Stadium (Las Vegas, NV), and one to-be-named international event.
Keep up with the latest news and results on Robby Gordon OFF-ROAD’s Stadium SUPER Trucks Series at facebook.com/StadiumSuperTrucks and twitter.com/SSuperTrucks. Visit stadiumsupertrucks.com for more information including where to purchase tickets for the 2013 season.
Toyo End of the World Promotion
Did you know that the world may cease to exist on December 21, 2012? No, we didn’t invent this idea. If you haven’t heard, the Mayan calendar stops on this date, causing some to predict that the world may end on this date. If the world does fall apart on this day, then SoCalTrucks.com and everything else won’t really matter. If not, Toyo is running a contest where the grand prize winner will receive a custom 2012 2-door Jeep Wrangler equipped with a set of Open Country A/T II tires.
The contest is officially called Toyo Tires vs. The Mayans. Other prizes include:
FIRST PRIZE: a trip for winner and one (1) guest to Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Trip includes: round-trip coach class air travel, double occupancy hotel accommodations for five (5) days/four (4) nights, ground transportation to and/or from the airport and the hotel, one (1) optional excursion and a $400 Visa Gift Card to be used for travel incidentals. Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”): $5,000.
WEEKLY ENTRY PERIOD PRIZES: Each winner may choose one set of four (4) Toyo Tires for a passenger vehicle or a light truck up to twenty (20) inches in wheel diameter from a list of available tires provided by Sponsor. The ARV per set of four (4) Toyo Tires range from $300 to $2,200, depending on the Toyo Tires selected.
This is really a win, win, win situation. If the world ends, no object on this earth will matter. If it doesn’t and you win, you will enjoy the earth more thoroughly with a new Jeep, a vacation, or a new set of tirese. If the world doesn’t end and you don’t win anything from Toyo, at least you are still alive. We like it when there’s no downside to a situation. To enter the contest, visit Facebook.com/ToyoTires
Toyo May Scale Back China Operations
According to Bloomberg, Toyo Tire may slow or stop making investment in China due to anti-Japan sentiment coming from the country. This could lead them to invest in other Southeast Asian countries instead of Big Red. All this comes after Japan bought islands claimed by both countries. We’re not sure what the big deal is, but I guess the U.S. would get pissed if China bought Hawaii.
For now, this shouldn’t have an impact on the U.S. operations of Toyo, but you never know. Who knows how this will impact the company, especially if China stops buying Japanese products or a conflict occurs in the region. As the Bloomberg article points out, China is Toyo’s second largest manufacturing region next to Malaysia. This issue could lead to higher prices if Toyo cannot expand fast enough outside of the region. Keep your fingers crossed. Click here to read the entire Bloomberg article.
Toyo Introduces OpenCountry A/T II
Pavement is optional with the new Toyo OpenCountry All-Terrain (A/T) II all-terrain tires. This tires is versatile, allowing for on-and-off road use. They offer over 40% more treadlife than the leading competitors. The cash you save from buying new tires could be used to upgrade other parts of your lifted truck. The A/T’s still look aggressive with their tread design and will maintain a more quiet ride than a traditional mud-terrain tire. The all-new Open Country A/T II comes with an industry-leading 65,000-mile warranty and their “No Regrets” 45-day, 500-mile trial offer.
The tire size range from 28″ to 35″ and of course, we would recommend going with 33″ tires or larger. The 33″ tires will go as big as 20″ wheels and the 35″ tires will go up to 22″ wheels. Price varies based on size of the tire, but a typical 35″ Toyo OC A/T II that will fit 18″ wheels will run about $300-$400 per tire.
Vehicle fitments for the Open Country A/T II include the following trucks. To see if the Open Country A/T II is right for your vehicle use the TOYO tire finder.
Chevy Silverado 1500/2500/3500
Ram 1500
Ford F-Series
Ford Raptor
GMC Sierra 1500
Toyota Tundra
Nissan Titan