Martin Depelteau, VP Sales & Development

Could you share with us your company’s journey to the top?

Martins Industries started as a tire equipment manufacturer in the Canadian market. With an office and distribution center in Montreal, Canada, the business grew rapidly. The high demand for tire equipment allowed us to open a manufacturing plant in China. Being well-established in the Canadian market, we decided to expand in the United States. A sales team was deployed and a distribution center was opened in Memphis, Tennessee to reach this high demand territory. Meanwhile, we had the opportunity to expend our business to the Australian territory. We opened a sales office and a distribution center in Sydney and established a local sales team to better serve that new market. Looking for new opportunities and business expansion, we analyzed the UAE market. Its high business potential brought us to open an office and distribution center to assure a strong presence in the area.

Martins Industries today:

· Has produced over 150 000 units of tire racking and equipment

· Has 250 employees

· Has 20 Account Managers covering more than 40 countries

· Has 15 Mechanical and structural engineers

· Has 250 000 sq. feet of production floor space

What does Martins Industries specialize in? Could you give us a rundown of your products?

Martins Industries is a manufacturer of tire storage and tire handling equipment such as tire racking for PCR, SUV, TBR, OTR, aircraft and military tires; tire conveyors for mezzanine; tire wheel lifts; bead seaters; tire carts; order picking cages; tire & wheel displays; safety tire inflation cages; and automatic tire inflators.

You are one of the only tire equipment and racking manufacturer in the world that sells products directly to end users. How does this benefit them?

Our clients benefit in such a way that they get the best prices on the market since there are no middle men; therefore, there are no added costs. Furthermore, customers get the best service by dealing with experts. We believe that no one knows a piece of equipment better than the person who made it.

What sets your tire racks apart from those offered by other companies?

· High quality steel grade

· High volume production capacity

· Company certifications such as CBW CSA W47.1 AWS D1.1

· Certified welders

· Quality assurance program with ultrasonic and magnetic particles testing for all our products

· Shot blast preparation for a better paint adherence

· UV resistant powder coated paint for a long-lasting finish

You go the extra mile in manufacturing your inflation tire cages. What makes them unique apart from their size?

Martins Industries’ safety tire inflation cages are robotic welded and all our cages are certified for AWS D1.1 & CWB 47.1 standards. We use 2.375” steel tubes which are 5.56% bigger than the competition and 0.200” steel plate for the base of the inflation cages which is 10.5% bigger than the competition. All of our steel comes from American and Canadian mills with the ASTM A500 Grade C High Yield Strength certification. Our cages are designed and tested to exceed specifications for OSHA requirements. We have a high quality finish of baked powder coated paint with a thickness of ~ 3 mils. We use UV resistant paint so the cage will never lose its luster. Our cages are packaged in a cardboard box for maximum protection compared to plastic wrap. Finally, our prices are 25-45% lower than competition. That’s what makes Martins Industries’ safety inflation cages the best cages in the world.

Your website claims that you refurbish all types of tire racks quickly and at less cost. What makes this possible?

What enables us to repair any tire racking quickly at a lower cost are our two dedicated refurbishing lines and a high inventory on several types of stacking targets, posts, decking and side wall both at our Canadian and Chinese plant. We have a team of well-equipped expert welders who can identify quickly what needs to be repaired and get the job done in no time.

What is your advice for those customers buying a tire storage system for the first time?

There are a lot of factors to consider when starting a new tire racking project, not only the type of rack you will be using and the way you want to store your tires but also your staging area (shipping and receiving), the handling method that you will be working with, the safety working process, etc. We have over 20 account managers located throughout the world who are available to help you with your decision.

We also have four blogs that are really helpful when starting your tire racking project:

5 Essential Steps to Successful Tire Storage Project

5 Essential Steps to Successful Tire Storage Project

Tires on the Tread, Barrel Stacked or Laced: Which is the Best?

Tires on the tread, barrel stacked or laced: which is the best?

Tire Storage Systems: Portable Versus Fixed Pallet Racking

Tire Storage systems: Portable versus Fixed Pallet racking

What Type of Steel and Gauge Your Racks are Made From?

https://martinsindustries.com/en/type-steel-gauge-racks-made/

Which is the best method of storing tires?

The 3 ways of storing tires are on the tread, barrel stacked or laced. These three methods all have great advantages, with each responding to the specific needs of different types of companies. They all save floor space, handling time and prevent injuries. However, it is important to choose the one that works best for your situation. The best way to find out is to have one of our sales account managers help you make the right choice. You can also read our blog to know the pros and cons of each method: https://martinsindustries.com/en/tires-tread-barrel-stacked-laced-best/

Is there a specific storage method required for a certain type of tire?

Yes, there is. For example, aircraft tires need to be stored on the tread and rotated every 30 days. Also, laced tires should not be laced for several months since this can affect their shape at the bottom of the stack.

Could you tell us more about your rent-a-rack service?

The rent-a-rack service is currently not available for the UAE market, but we might offer it eventually.

Environmental sustainability is not only a hot topic but also a huge concern in various industries, especially in the automotive industry. How does Martins Industries show its support and commitment to this?

Martins Industries’ fabrication processes take into consideration the environment in a few different ways. One of the first ways is by filtering and reusing the water used to wash the racks prior to painting. We also use powder paint instead of liquid paint (petroleum base) since it has no toxic materials and emanations. In addition, all scrap steel parts are sent to a steel recycling center. Finally, by using tire racks to store your tires, this prevents the use of plastic wrap and wooden pallets.

What do you consider as the most effective marketing strategy that appeals to Middle East customers?

We think the best marketing strategy is to be honest with everyone: our employees, our customers and our suppliers. As for our branding, our different marketing strategies are trade shows such as Automechanika Dubai and Automechanika Jeddah, printed magazines around the world and onsite sales representatives. Our website is also one—it presents all the information about our company and our products. We do not have anything to hide. It’s all there!

How important is this region as a market for tire racking and equipment products?

The Middle East region is a very good growing market for tire racking and equipment products. Being a hub region for the tire industry with many wholesalers, it has a lot of potential. We can help customers maximize even more their floor space area, handling and delays with our different products and services. We opened an office in Dubai and now have a distribution center to offer better shipping delays and service.

You have distribution centers in the United States, Canada and Australia, along with manufacturing plants in Canada and China. Could you share your journey and your biggest milestone specifically in the Middle East?

We have started our journey in the Middle East a few years ago through customers’ requests for tire racking. After analyzing the market potential and the different selling options, we opened our office in Dubai and now have a distribution center here to facilitate the local market.

What threats or challenges do you see in this region’s tire and tire racking industry this year and how do you prepare for these?

A few challenges that we had when we first started in this region was the proximity of the products for our clients which brought us to open an office and distribution center in Dubai. We also hired a local sales team in order to deal with the language barrier and meet the high demand. We also had to approach the market in a different manner due to certain differences like the size of the tires.

For this year, the main challenge is the economy. Since it is not at its best and everybody is looking for solutions to maintain the business running and growing, we will have to find a way to lower our costs to respond to our customers’ requests while maintaining our sales growth. Maximizing your warehouse with tire racking instead of buying or building a new location becomes the best option.

Could you share with us your plans for this region this year?

Our main objective for this region this year is to increase our brand awareness and show our customers the quality of our products. We have produced in the past 6 months a corporate video

about our manufacturing facilities and our company. Our goal is to show everyone in the tire business that Martins Industries is a world-class tire equipment manufacturer.

Could you give us some industry predictions for tire racking and storage this year?

As mentioned earlier, with a lower financial resource, potential and actual customers will be looking at different options instead of building a new warehouse. Maximizing their warehouse with tire racking becomes the best investment, which should result in our best year so far.

How do you prepare for the 2016 Automechanika Dubai and what products and offers do you have in store for visitors?

Martins Industries’ team is preparing for the Automechanika Dubai by sending out e-news, doing advertising in Tires & Parts Magazine, and being in constant communication with our clients to invite them to come and see us at the show. We will be displaying tire handling equipment and storage solutions with the best prices.

What can customers expect from your company next year?

Our Research and Development team is working on new products especially built for the Middle East region. I believe Martins Industries will stand out due to these new, high quality, low-priced products. Watch out our e-news and website for our new products.

When people hear the name ‘Martins Industries’, what impression would you like them to have about your company?

Martins Industries = Quality products, premium service at a better price.