Page 21 - Retrading Business N101 2022-02
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BURLESON OUTLINES VISION FOR US MARKET
Central Marketing Inc, the retread machinery and accessory manufac- turer and supplier based in Prince George, Virginia is among the best- known and most established suppliers to the North American retrea- ding sector. The family-owned business, run by industry stalwart Edd Burleson and his son, Eddie, works closely with some of the world’s leading equipment manufacturers, and recently we were able to catch up with Edd in one of our regular Retreadcast podcast interviews and were able to focus in on the company’s latest developments.
We began by asking Edd about the impressi- ve portfolio of suppliers that the company has managed to develop over many years, which includes the likes of CIMA, Matteuzzi, MAE, VMI, SDS, ABM, SIT and more recently, VM Rubber. How important, we asked, had these relationships been in cementing relationships with the retread sector in North America?
explained Edd, “is one of the most important parts of our success over the years, as it has helped us establish ourselves as one of the leading suppliers in the US. “The relations- hip we have with our suppliers has helped us become an extension of their companies, allowing us to offer the customer direct ac- cess to the manufacturer whilst also offering locally factory-authorised parts and service. All these relationships are ongoing and have the North American market.”
In terms of investment from the local mar- ket, Burleson points out that this has stayed buoyant throughout the pandemic, largely due to the fact that the retread industry has been designated an essential industry and plants have stayed open. Central Marketing installed several new plants in both 2020 and 2021 and has two or three more scheduled for the current year.
One area which has been challenging, thou- gh, is that of parts supplies, particularly plc motion controls and drives. In the light of this, Burleson has already placed has already 2022 with suppliers in order to stay ahead of the game. “We want to have inventory to ship to our customers as soon as possible,” he ex- plained. “Normally, we stock three complete
plants, and we have been investing in equip- to wait 6-8 months to get equipment when they need it.”
In terms of technological developments in the - tention to the trend towards automation, and asked how this trend was developing in the US and what challenges it posed forms com- panies such as Central Marketing.
According to Burleson, all tyre companies and retreaders are now looking at automation to improve productivity, a trend which he says is necessary, due to the fact that umemplo- yment is low, and it is hard to recruit skilled people. “Automations can also improve qua- lity due to the repeatability factor,” he adds. Central Marketing is currently working clo- sely with partners to introduce automation into plants in steps that make the most sense. However, one factor that remains a challen- ge is the need for higher skilled maintenance people, which is posing a problem for small -
areas where automation is helping the re- tread sector become more competitive, so we asked Edd which key areas the company was focusing on and in what areas suppliers had been able to help most.
“Smart buffers can eliminate most of the de- cisions the operator needs to make, automa- tically checking casings and making sure the “Also, dual axle buffers are important to im- -
“Central Marketing’s network of suppliers is one of the most important parts of our success over the years, as it has helped us establish ourselves as one of the leading suppliers in the US.”
INTERVIEW
Central Marketing
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