Titan to evaluate consumer-related Denman assets

ERJ staff report (TB)

Quincy, Illinois - Titan Tire Corp. will probably look to divest some of the consumer tyre-related Denman Tire LLC assets it acquired this week through the federal bankruptcy court because they don't fit particularly well with Titan's OTR-dominated product portfolio, according to Titan's top executive.

“We don't know for sure yet what we'll do (with those assets),” Titan Chairman and CEO Maurice Taylor Jr. said, “but the natural thought is we should see who else might be interested….

“I'd anticipate someone would contact us about them, wouldn't you?” Mr. Taylor asked rhetorically.

Likewise, Titan has to evaluate its strategy regarding private branding, Mr. Taylor said.

“If someone's going to pay us a fair price (for it), we'd have to consider it,” he said.

The Titan executive also said the company most likely will move the Denman moulds and production to its Des Moines, Iowa, plant, but the decision isn't final.

From Tire Business (A Crain publication)