LOUISVILLE -- Toyo Tire said last week that it is putting increased focus on its commercial tire business.

The compan announced during last week’s Mid-America Trucking Show that it’s making important changes to its commercial truck tire team. Effective April 1, Gary Hendricks will be director of commercial truck tire sales. He will be responsible for dealer, fleet and original equipment sales growth. 

To facilitate this growth and better serve the dealer network, Toyo Tires will make significant investments in its commercial tire sales force in 2013 and add sales personnel throughout the United States.

Lowell Slimp, another Toyo Tires veteran of the commercial truck tire business, has been promoted to senior product manager of commercial truck tires and will be responsible for commercial product development and technical activities in the U.S. Slimp will work within the Product Planning and Technical Services group at the company’s U.S. headquarters in Cypress, Calif., and will be the primary interface with the commercial tire R&D operations in Osaka, Japan, for new product development projects and line expansions.

“Toyo Tires has had a long, rich history in commercial truck tires since coming to the United States in 1966,” says Roy Bromfield, chief operating officer, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp.  “These personnel promotions and the significant growth planned for our commercial sales team in 2013 demonstrates our commitment to the commercial truck tire market and supports our planned growth in the coming years. We have the technology, the global manufacturing capacity and the market knowledge to grow our business in the USA; it is time to put more people in the field to support our dealers and develop our business.”

In addition to expanding sales and product development efforts, Toyo Tires is also increasing marketing initiatives. New marketing tools include an iPad application developed specifically for the commercial truck tire segment. On display for the first time at MATS, the app provides easy access to Toyo Tires product information including training, features, size and specifications and brochures. It can be used in a variety of training and selling environments including trade shows, sales meetings and dealer showrooms. The app will be available for free download in the iTunes store beginning in April.