Whether or not you’ve heard of a tire depends on a) how interested you are in tires or b) how heavily marketed the tire is. The tires you see advertised on television and in print most often are what are considered premium products. They incorporate the latest in technology and generally provide the highest performance for whatever market sector for which they were developed. Very often these tire brands are fitted as original equipment on cars and these ‘major’ brand tires are normally at the high end of price scale.

Tire brands are as stratified as tire types. The manufacturer’s brands normally have an identity of their own, for instance Michelin tires, Bridgestone tires, Continental tires, and Goodyear tires are known by most people and are considered premium brands. BF Goodrich tires and Dunlop tires have built a reputation on their performance products and Uniroyal tires, Firestone tires and General tires are known for providing value with name brand recognition.

Falling under the premium lines mentioned above are associate brands produced by the major manufacturers, private brands produced by major manufacturers for independent companies and imported brands that are relatively new to our market. A good example of an associate brand tire is the Fuzion tires made by Bridgestone tires. It is made in the same factories with the same people as their branded products. While it doesn’t include the same technology as their top of the line Bridgestone performance tires, it does include the same quality control. Often associate and private brands incorporate older technology that is proven by the time it has migrated to these lines. Some major brand companies have moved their entry level products to manufacturers of import tires further blurring the line of who makes what.

New sizes, application and segments have evolved in the industry and manufacturers have evolved marketing and branding strategies to meet them. More often than not, the tire you’ve never heard of is made by someone you have.