CEAT Specialty Gets High Marks for Responsiveness

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Ohio Dealer Excelling with new CEAT Flotation Tire

Brad Schmucker, owner of Millersburg Tire Service in Ohio, knew there was demand for a quality high speed radial flotation tire in his market. There were a couple offerings in the market by other manufacturers, but Schmucker felt that there could be an improvement.

According to John Miller of Millersburg Tire Service, “We mentioned to the CEAT folks the need for this tank tire and provided input of what we thought would improve the product over current designs. With CEAT’s willingness to grow in this market we had the new FLOATMAX CARGO PLUS within a year.”

With FLOATMAX CARGO PLUS installations happening on a regular basis now, it appears that the guys at Millersburg Tire Service knew what they were talking about . . . which is not at all surprising; you don’t stay in business as a tire dealer for decades without taking care of your customers with expertise and outstanding service. Millersburg Tire Service began selling CEAT Ag tires more than six years ago when CEAT entered the North American market.

“CEAT is a company that is willing to listen to the needs of its customers and tries to meet those requests. They are amazing to work with because they want dealer and customer input to help make them stronger in the market,” Miller noted.

The FLOATMAX CARGO PLUS offers high traction, stubble puncture protection, uniform pressure distribution, and minimal soil/crop damage for tank and trailer applications. Available initially in size 28LR26, more sizes and a VF variant are planned for release towards the end of this year.

Featuring the latest in Ag tire technologies, CEAT tractor and implement tires perform well in the field and equally well on the road. This CEAT performance, combined with an acquisition price that is friendly on the wallet, delivers true value to America’s farmers and ranchers.

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Canadian Farmer Glad He Listened to Tirecraft on CEAT Ag Tires

Dale Shouldice, owner or Gowerdale Farms in North Gower, Ontario, was very hesitant to try CEAT Ag tires.

He had never heard of the CEAT brand. With lots of reassurances, Chuck Walker, Tirecraft’s Eastern Ontario Ag Specialist, was finally able to convince Shouldice to try a set of VF380/90R46 Spraymax radials on his John Deere 4830 Sprayer. These were installed a few months ago and the sprayer was used pretty much non-stop for the past two months getting the fields sprayed before the long winter months set in.

He was so impressed with their performance in that short period of time, he gave Walker the go ahead to install 8 new 620/70R42 Farmax R70’s on his John Deere 9930.

It has been a familiar story since CEAT Specialty Tires entered the North American market five years ago. Tire distributors like Tirecraft become believers. They and their dealers pitch the brand to their farmer customers. Farmers try CEAT tires on one piece of equipment and then expand. The company’s mission is to offer high quality tires at a better value to North America’s farmers and ranchers. By all accounts, the company is accomplishing its mission.Dale Shouldice, owner or Gowerdale Farms in North Gower, Ontario, was very hesitant to try CEAT Ag tires.

He had never heard of the CEAT brand. With lots of reassurances, Chuck Walker, Tirecraft’s Eastern Ontario Ag Specialist, was finally able to convince Shouldice to try a set of VF380/90R46 Spraymax radials on his John Deere 4830 Sprayer. These were installed a few months ago and the sprayer was used pretty much non-stop for the past two months getting the fields sprayed before the long winter months set in.

He was so impressed with their performance in that short period of time, he gave Walker the go ahead to install 8 new 620/70R42 Farmax R70’s on his John Deere 9930.

It has been a familiar story since CEAT Specialty Tires entered the North American market five years ago. Tire distributors like Tirecraft become believers. They and their dealers pitch the brand to their farmer customers. Farmers try CEAT tires on one piece of equipment and then expand. The company’s mission is to offer high quality tires at a better value to North America’s farmers and ranchers. By all accounts, the company is accomplishing its mission.

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CEAT Specialty Gets High Marks for Responsiveness

We hear it often and never tire of it – when customers remark on the responsiveness of CEAT Specialty.

The latest came from Geert Mertens, CEO and Owner of respected Belgian tire wholesaler Forrez International, a trusted CEAT distributor since 2019.

“We have many customers who are pleased with the quality of CEAT tires, and when there is a problem, we get a very very quick response from CEAT,” Mertens noted at the recent Agritechnica exposition in Germany.

Another recent example: Brad Schmucker, owner of Millersburg Tire Service in Ohio, had been asking a leading tire manufacturer to build a 28LR26 tank tire for over 15 years, knowing that there was demand in the market for a quality high speed radial flotation tire.

“We mentioned the need for this tank tire and provided input of what we thought would improve the product over current designs,” recalled John Miller of Millersburg Tire Service. “With CEAT’s willingness to grow in this market we had the new FLOATMAX CARGO PLUS in less than a year. We already have well over 100 units performing in the field!”

Miller continued, “CEAT is a company that is willing to listen to the needs of its customers and tries to meet those requests. They are amazing to work with because they want dealer and customer input to help make them stronger in the market.”

The FLOATMAX CARGO PLUS was unveiled at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, IL, in August. The tire offers high traction, stubble puncture protection, uniform pressure distribution, and minimal soil/crop damage. Available initially in size 28LR26, more sizes and a VF variant are planned for release towards the end of the year.

“We foresee a very strong relationship with CEAT going forward. They display an exceptional amount of energy in developing different sizes that we have requested – very responsive to our requests,” said Trevor Schaab, Materials Leader for Bourgault Industries, which manufactures industry-leading air seeders.

This is what sets CEAT apart from other Ag tire manufacturers – a willingness to receive input from customers and the ability to quickly put their recommendations into action. This company-wide mindset is one reason why CEAT became the first tire company in the world to receive the prestigious Deming Grand Prize for TQM (total quality management) excellence.

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Tirecraft Picture Butte Excels in Customer Service at Their New Fabulous Facility

Step into the customer area of the new facility for Tirecraft Picture Butte and you might mistake it for a high-end retail store with beautiful wood floors, modern light fixtures and overall exquisite taste. A few wheels on display and the name “Tirecraft” are the only clues that this is a tire store.

Some may call this “over kill” but for owner John Wiebe it is simply a statement on his overall approach to business. “I’m all about customer service. That has always been our top priority. When people come in my door I want them to feel at home. I’m a firm believer that if you take care of the customer they will come back time and time again,” Wiebe says.

Wiebe’s focus on customer service is why he decided to give CEAT Ag and OTR tires a try. “I heard good things about CEAT and began carrying CEAT tires this last spring. I love these tires. They are going on big four-wheel drive tractors and other size tractors, as well as Bobcats and implements.”

“I was a big BKT supporter for many years, but I like the price and quality of the CEAT tires. For guys who don’t want to spend the money for a Michelin or Firestone on the high end, the CEAT tires fit their budget, and they perform really well. All of the CEAT tires I’ve put out there, the guys come back saying how much they like how they perform. I’m really excited to get more of my customers on CEAT tires,” Wiebe says.

Wiebe has been in the tire business for 15 years and has owned his own business for the past nine. Business has been so good that he opened up a much bigger shop this year at 231 Highway Avenue in Picture Butte to serve the southern Alberta area which is cattle country. The new facility has two bays to service very large Ag equipment and is supported by three service trucks and 10 employees.

Tirecraft Picture Butte is exactly the type of tire dealer that CEAT Specialty wants in our dealer network, and we wish Wiebe and his team all the success in the world in the years ahead.

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The CEAT Mission: Offer High Quality Tires at a Better Value to America’s Farmers and Ranchers

A good mission statement is straightforward, easy to understand. CEAT’s mission is to offer high quality tires at a better value to America’s farmers and ranchers.

By all accounts, the company is accomplishing its mission after five years in North America. Brent Sisson, Agricultural Tire Specialist for Tirecraft Sarnia in Ontario, Canada, says it takes him about four years to truly evaluate an Ag tire brand. He’s been selling CEAT farm tires for four years now and is all in!

“It’s about a 4-year process before I can feel confident in telling my customers I have confidence in a farm tire product,” Sisson says. “I must see it first-hand with known comparisons. CEAT is one brand that has surpassed my requirements. They provide a high quality, precision product. We have had lots of excellent customer feedback.”

It’s noteworthy when your farmer customers come back and ask for the same brand by name. That’s what’s been happening at Millersburg Tire Service in Ohio, one of the first American tire dealers to sell CEAT Ag tires.

“What makes me feel really good is when they call in on the phone and they want that ‘CEAT Tire,’” say Millersburg Tire Service owner Brad Schmucker. “That’s the key to making inroads in a market . . . when you have a tire that people ask for by name.”

While the brand is relatively new to North America, CEAT was established back in 1924 in Turin, Italy. Today, it is one of India’s leading tire manufacturers, and CEAT tires are sold in more than 115 countries worldwide. CEAT manufactures farm, mining, and earthmover, industrial, and construction equipment tires, as well as special application OTR tires. The North American headquarters is located in Jefferson City, MO.

Featuring the latest in Ag tire technologies, CEAT tractor and implement tires perform well in the field and equally well on the road. This CEAT performance, combined with an acquisition price that is friendly on the wallet, delivers true value to America’s farmers and ranchers.

“We have been very pleased with the CEAT tires,” says peanut farmer Justin Studstill, whose John Deere tractors and implements travel over a 60-mile square area in southeast Georgia. “Our tractors spend a lot of time on the road, and the CEAT tires provide a smooth steady ride. They don’t get squirrelly like some tires do; very stable even when pulling heavy implements.”

Studstill also appreciates how his CEAT FARMAX tractor tires provide dependable traction in the field while minimizing soil compaction.

CEAT offers a comprehensive range of Ag radial and bias tires. Radial tire offerings include:

FARMAX for different size tractors
Torquemax VF for high power tractors
Spraymax VF for self-propelled sprayers
Yieldmax for combines

CEAT radial Ag tires are backed with a 7-year manufacturer’s warranty and 3-year field hazard warranty.

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CEAT Farm Tractor Tires Getting Rave Reviews for Roadability

Driving tractors on the road represents a significant and demanding portion of the farmer’s workload these days as they work many fields separated by paved roads.

As Barry Hawn, Director of Off-Road Products for Tirecraft Ontario, notes, “Farmers are in their tractors all day long. When they get on the road they’ve got to get to the next field as quickly as possible. They are going pretty fast, so ride comfort is a huge issue. If they get beat up on the road, at the end of the day they are not happy!”

“The CEAT tires have done a great job with their capability to roll down the road with a nice comfortable ride,” says Hawn who has been in the tire business for 50 years. He has experience with the vast majority of Ag tire brands.

Tirecraft dealers have received great feedback from their farmer customers on CEAT farm tires, including the FARMAX line of tractor tires, according to Hawn.

The FARMAX R80 delivers superior roadability due to its higher angle lug and lug overlap at the center. In addition to roadability, the FARMAX line is also outstanding in traction in the field and reducing soil compaction.

Other features and benefits include a lower angle at the shoulder that brings home superior traction. Wider treads, with larger inner volume, reduce soil compaction and rounded shoulders cause less disruption to soil and crop. FARMAX radials perform well on 2WD tractors, 4WD tractors, MFWA tractors and combine/harvesters.

“If you have a good tire that performs well in the field and equally well on the road, you have a winner,” Hawn says. “CEAT is that tire!”

Tirecraft Ontario, which has the distribution rights to Eastern Canada including Atlantic Canada, Quebec, and Ontario, has been carrying CEAT Ag tires for four years now.

All CEAT Ag radials are backed with a 7-year manufacturer’s warranty and a 3-year field hazard warranty.

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No Need for Follow Up on CEAT Farm Tractor Tires!

Barry Hawn, Director of Off-Road Products for Tirecraft Ontario, has been in the tire business for 50 years – all of them with a heavy emphasis on farm tires.

He has first-hand experience with practically every Ag tire brand, so he was skeptical when he heard that another brand was entering the “already saturated Ag market.”

He recalled his first visit from CEAT Specialty Tires executives about four years ago. “They hit on a lot of small little details about the CEAT brand and the company that really intrigued me. After a number of follow-up calls and emails, I had to see these tires for myself. Opening order placed!”

Hawn said he was totally impressed by the appearance of the CEAT farm tractor tires and quickly sold a few sets. Hawn and Tirecraft have built their reputation on strong customer service so he was determined to follow up with his dealers. He asked, “What are your thoughts on the looks of the tires, how did they mount, how did they ride, but most importantly what was your customer’s response?” The response from his dealers? “Not a single negative word. All positives.”

To ensure 100% satisfaction, Hawn offered his corporate stores and associate dealers a “60-day no nonsense, if you don’t like them for any reason, or if your end user doesn’t like them for any reason, I’ll take them back.” There is no longer a need to follow up, Hawn notes. Not a single tire returned! CEAT farm tractor tire sales have been brisk.

Hawn and Tirecraft Ontario, which has the distribution rights to Eastern Canada including Atlantic Canada, Quebec, and Ontario, have had great success with the CEAT FARMAX tractor tire line and the Torquemax VF.

The CEAT TORQUEMAX, designed for high power tractors, available in both VF and IF version, features:

a stepped lug design that provides better grip and traction.
a center tie bar gives the Torquemax superior roadability, which is increasingly important these days as farm equipment spends more time on the road traveling from one tract of land to another.
rounded shoulders which mean less soil and crop damage.
a tilted lug tip that reduces vibration and noise.
a wider tread and larger inner volume reduce soil compaction, and the R1-W tread depth ensures long service life.

“We are looking forward to continue building a long term relationship with CEAT Specialty Tires,” says Hawn.

CEAT feels the same way about Tirecraft!

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CEAT & Millersburg Tire Service Excited About Future Growth Together

This article was published in the Millersburg, OH, version of bargainhunter.com

Millersburg Tire Service owner Brad Schmucker said many farmers don’t know about CEAT Specialty farm tires.

His hope is that is about to change, drastically.

Recently, MTS became one of CEAT Specialty’s initial partners here in the United States, and while MTS has sold CEAT farm tires for the past several years, Schmucker said the company is about to gain some serious traction in the United States, and he and his company are thrilled to be a part of CEAT’s national growth.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to team up with CEAT (pronounced SEE’-ott) on an even bigger scale,” Schmucker said. “We are jumping in with both feet.”

Millersburg Tire had been purchasing CEAT farm tractor tires and implement tires through a broker but made the recent move to purchase directly from CEAT, eliminating the middleman, something Schmucker hopes will help his business grow the CEAT name quicker.

“Millersburg Tire is our best retailer in the country,” said Ryan Loethen, president of CEAT North American Operations. “They’ve been our most durable and loyal partner, and it is a pleasure to work with them.”

Loethen went on to say CEAT is now exploring several ways to grow the partnership, building a new and unique sales model he hopes will be beneficial for both parties.

“To be honest, they are the only partner I think we want to try this with,” Loethen said. “We have a high-quality product, and the last thing we want to do is team up with a low-quality dealer and someone who doesn’t understand the value.”

CEAT has been in business since 1917, founded in Turin, Italy. (The company has been in North America for four years now.)

CEAT recently sent a team of representatives to meet with Schmucker and his staff, and Schmucker said the plan developed quickly out of thin air. He said with COVID issues, it has been difficult to get all parties on board, and it remains difficult to get tires in stock with shipping issues plaguing the nation right now.

Schmucker said having been working with CEAT for the past four years, they know the kind of quality product the company provides and added there are several farmers in the area who will buy nothing but CEAT tires.

He said word of mouth alone will help push CEAT sales as the farming community begins to learn more about how productive and tough CEAT tires are. He said they know and trust the tires, and the two companies are now working on a plan to get the tires here in a timelier fashion.

Amit Tolani, CEAT chief executive, was excited to catch a plane from India and fly to the U.S. to visit with Schmucker and his staff to learn more about his business and to sit down face to face to hash out a plan that benefits both parties.

“We are excited because we see the U.S. as a big market, and we need partners who can build a brand here,” Tolani said. “Brad and his team here are doing exactly that, and the passion he has in terms of understanding what’s taking place right now in the tire world and the feedback he is giving us is invaluable. He knows this business here more than any of us do. He is on the ground and can catch trends and what is happening in trends, and it is all about how passionately he runs the business.”

Tolani said he took the 18-hour flight because he understands how important this connection is between the two companies. He said Millersburg Tire is very important to CEAT, and building this relationship is critical to growing their company in the United States.

He said he has been very impressed with MTS and the vision it has, and they have big expectations for this partnership and the relationship being a driving force in CEAT’s growth in the U.S. market.

“It’s about understanding each other better,” Tolani said. “They have been a loyal partner.”

Monty Hawthorne, director of agricultural sales in North America, said CEAT prides itself on making the highest quality tractor tires, and in building relationships in the U.S., they wanted to start with companies that put an emphasis on quality.

The American office of CEAT opened in 2018, and Loethen said with quality product that is fairly priced, CEAT tires are ideal for smaller farmers.

“We want someone who will invest in our brand as Millersburg Tire did, who will spend time with us and carry the same passion for quality and durability,” Loethen said. “We are making hard-working tires for hard-working people, and this community appears to be a perfect fit for what we want to promote.”

Schmucker said farmers who have invested in CEAT tires love the product, and he hopes this new partnership will most importantly benefit the hard-working farmers who drive the local agricultural economy.

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FARMAX R80 Provides Roadability at Massive Peanut Farm

The John Deere tractors at Big Creek Farms in southeastern Georgia spend a lot of time on the road – a necessity when you are farming peanuts on 6,000 acres in a 60-mile square area.

When farm owner Justin Studstill heard about the roadability of CEAT FARMAX Ag tires from his local tire dealer, he decided to try a set of FARMAX R80 radials on one of his John Deere 8420 tractors. Suffice it to say, Studstill sees more CEAT tires in his future.

“We have been very pleased with the CEAT tires,” Studstill notes. “Our tractors spend a lot of time on the road, and the CEAT tires provide a smooth steady ride. They don’t get squirrelly like some tires do; very stable even when pulling heavy implements.”

The successful peanut farmer is also impressed with the traction provided by his FARMAX R80 radials. And while the CEAT tires have only been on his Deere through one planting season and a recent harvest, they look almost brand new. Studstill is confident that the R1-W tread depth will deliver long service life.

High roadability, reduced soil compaction and superior traction are just a few features that make the FARMAX R80 tractor tire an all-round performer.

Features and benefits include:

With a higher angle lug and lug overlap at the center, the FARMAX R80 tractor tires offer superior roadability.
A lower angle at the shoulder brings home superior traction.
Wider treads, with larger inner volume, reduce soil compaction and rounded shoulders cause less disruption to soil and crop.

FARMAX R80 radials perform well on 2WD tractors, 4WD tractors, MFWA tractors and combine/harvesters.

The FARMAX R80, like all CEAT Ag radials, is backed with a 7-year manufacturer’s warranty, as well as a field hazard warranty.

Studstill was visited recently by Monty Hawthorne, director of agricultural sales for CEAT Specialty Tires, and Brick Oltmann who oversees quality assurance for American Omni Trading Company. American Omni is a main importer of CEAT tires to the US.

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Talkin’ Peanuts Here!

Who doesn’t love peanuts? Well most of us do anyway!

Representatives of CEAT Specialty Tires got a special treat recently with a visit to Big Creek Farms, a very large peanut farming operation located in Lakeland, GA, a few miles from Valdosta in the southeastern corner of the state.

Farm owner Justin Studstill, who purchased his first set of CEAT Ag radial tires (FARMAX R80, size 480/80R46 R1-W R) last March, graciously invited CEAT folks down to see the tires and his operation in action. And what an operation it is – they grow and harvest more than 6,000 acres of peanuts each year. If you enjoy a pack of M&M’s chocolate peanuts every now and then, you may very well have eaten some of the nuts grown at Big Creek Farms.

Joining Studstill during harvest time last week were Monty Hawthorne, director of sales for CEAT Specialty Tires, and Brick

Oltmann, who oversees quality assurance for American Omni Trading (AOT), a company responsible for importing a significant share of CEAT Ag tires into North America.

Studstill only started using CEAT tires during the last planting season, but there’s little doubt he will be purchasing more! First of all, there’s the roadability. “We plant and harvest peanuts in about a 60 square mile area so our tractors spend a lot of time on the road,” he notes. “The CEAT tires provide a good stable ride. They don’t get squirrelly like some of the brands we’ve used. And it looks like the tread wear is going to be outstanding.”

Studstill says the traction provided by the CEAT tires is as good as any of the major Ag tire brands he has run on, and the acquisition price is very favorable compared to these so-called “name brands.”

Compaction in the sandy soil at Big Creek Farms is also a major concern, and Studstill says the square footprint of the CEAT FARMAX R80 is adept at reducing compaction and protecting the soil for many seasons to come. They definitely have the long view at Big Creek Farms – Studstill’s great grandfather first started growing peanuts there in 1905.

On the day of the CEAT visit, there were 21 John Deere tractors pulling Amadas harvesters and making quick work of a big field of peanuts. Click here to see a brief video of the equipment kicking into action.

So we had to ask. Justin, what is your favorite brand of peanut butter? “I have to be honest. By the time we get through with harvesting, I don’t want to see a jar of peanut butter,” he laughed. He did allow, though, that Snickers is his favorite candy bar featuring peanuts.

We sincerely appreciate Big Creek Farms becoming a CEAT customer and hope to visit them next year to measure how the CEAT tires are performing on tread wear.

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Roadability, Durability . . . Kudos for CEAT Ag Tires Keep Rolling In!

Nothing pleases us more than hearing feedback from our farmer customers!

Take Jarad Sage of Clover Patch Dairy Farm in Ohio for example: “I’ve run a lot of different tires on a lot of different tractors over my years and this tire is very reliable. We’ve never had a flat on the CEAT tires,” according to Jarad who is the operations manager at Clover Patch Dairy Farm. “They are very durable. We’re anticipating 10,000 hours on a current set. In the past, with other tires I’ve run on other tractors, we’ve gotten about half that life and they were also radials.”

Josh Zimmerly, farm manager at Catalpadale Dairy Farm, is also high on CEAT: “With radial tires, sometimes when you go from asphalt to concrete the ride can be like night and day. With CEAT, the ride is smooth the entire time . . . it doesn’t matter if you are carrying a big load or no load, or what the speed is,” Josh says.

Click here for brief video with Jarad and Josh riding on CEAT Ag tires.

Technology for the “Small Guys”

We welcome farms and ranches of all sizes to give CEAT Ag radial and bias tires a try, but we are particularly proud to make the latest technologies, such as VF, available to the smaller operations at an affordable price . . . because they aren’t “small” to us!

We’re expanding our line-up of VF technology tires with the introduction of the Spraymax VF, which is specially designed for self-propelled sprayers. And we continue to ask the question, “Why should the ‘big boys’ only benefit from VF technology?”

At CEAT we believe you do not have to sacrifice modern VF technology due to the price of the tire. We offer the VF advantage at an honest price. Our cost per hour is among the industry’s best; coupled with an aggressive entry level price, our VF technology is available to farms of all sizes.

Click here for video on the Spraymax VF radial.

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CEAT Specialty Gets High Marks for Responsiveness

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Talkin’ Peanuts Here!

Roadability, Durability . . . Kudos for CEAT Ag Tires Keep Rolling In!