Cedar Rapids Tire guarantees large stock of Carlisle tires for 2011

MARION, IA, December 31, 2010

Cedar Rapids Tire (CRT), a Marion, Iowa-based specialty tire distribution company, began receiving their spring 2011 Carlisle tire shipments in October of 2010. CRT wanted to ensure an adequate supply of Carlisle tires for their customers in the wake of Carlisle's recent tire shortage.

The trouble began when Carlisle Tire & Wheel Company decided to move plants in China and close a plant in Pennsylvania, relocating it to Tennessee. The relocation of a plant has a direct impact on production, and Carlisle decided to relocate two at once. The transition of molds set Carlisle's production well behind schedule and they were also challenged with hard-to-find ocean freight. Additionally, the company was hit with a much higher OEM demand than was forecasted, and a preference for those manufacturers over local dealers resulted in a severe shortage of Carlisle tires in the marketplace.

Although Carlisle's tire supply was a huge issue for Cedar Rapids Tire in the last year, CRT believes their 2011 supply of Carlisle tires will be much better than it was in 2010. This bodes well for CRT, considering the industry on the whole is predicted to still have very tight inventories in 2011.

About Cedar Rapids Tire: CRT has been selling specialty tires throughout the United States, since 1992. The company prides itself on having a large inventory of ATV Tires, Motorcycle Tires, Trailer Tires, Golf Cart Tires and many other specialty tires. In addition, CRT is an authority for an extensive selection of ATV and motorcycle accessories.