What is the state of the OTR tire market?
Cicero: Construction is moribund – all but dead. With the ripple effect of the economy on demand for raw materials, underground and open pit mining also appear to be down. Like any recession, this part of a cycle. Fenner: The overall market is still struggling due to economic conditions. Construction and quarry demand continue to be off. This business has always been cyclical and there are signs of improvement. The federal stimulus package will certainly help the small and medium size OTR lines that are offered by the majority of OTR tire dealers. However, it will take some time for these monies to be released and more time to see this flow into OTR tire demand. Lucas: The OTR market in the U.S. is significantly down year-over-year. However, the level of decrease varies greatly based on the market segments. Higher than normal inventories in the OE and replacement channels have exacerbated this decline. There have been some bright spots with the stabilization of minerals and energies, w
