Congratulations to Jon Langerak, president and CEO of Wonderland Tire, for the title of MTD’s Tire Dealer of the Year! We are proud to be a part of Wonderland Tire’s success story and are excited to continue growing with them. Keep reading to learn more about Jon’s journey with AcuTread and AcuTread’s role in Wonderland Tire’s rapid growth.
And don’t miss Modern Tire Dealer’s article in the September 2023 publication highlighting Jon Langerak, his history with the company, and his commitment to top-of-the-line technology like AcuTread!
“In the early ’90s, me and my brother, Bill, who was also working in the family business and running our retread plant, decided we were going to go out on our own and start our own retread plant. We started to buy and store our own equipment,” said Jon in MTD’s article.
This endeavor is what led Jon and Bill to strike up a friendship with AcuTread’s founder, Bob Majewski, and begin selling AcuTread® retreads. Eventually, Jon, Bill, and Dave Langerak convinced Wonderland Tire’s then-owners, Henry and Earl Kamps, to take a risk on the AcuTread® product under the Wonderland Tire umbrella.
Their confidence in the AcuTread® mold cure technology paid off and was a huge step for Jon in the direction of ownership. AcuTread shook up the markets where Wonderland Tire operated and became a major growth catalyst for the company. With the success of AcuTread and the rapid growth of Wonderland Tire, Jon and Dave’s responsibilities within the company multiplied and they became majority shareholders in 2008.
Before becoming an AcuTread retreader, Wonderland Tire was affiliated with another tread rubber supplier. But, AcuTread caught their eye and they began buying our mold cure products from Newport, KY-based Sumerel Tire Service Inc., a company Wonderland Tire eventually acquired in 2021.
“We put them into our fleet customers to see how they would run,” said Jon in MTD’s article. “And they were fantastic! We called (AcuTread founder) Bob Majewski up and said, ‘We want to become an AcuTread retreader.’”
After taking the “million-dollar” leap of investment, Wonderland Tire built its first AcuTread® product in 1998 and the customer feedback was immediate and positive.
Jon and Dave soon began developing new tread designs. “We don’t go as wide as Michelin or Bandag or Goodyear, but we cover all the essentials,” said Jon. “We even have SmartWay-verified products.”
And now, according to Dave Langerak, AcuTread is “the most pivotal, strategic thing we’ve done as a company.” Investing in AcuTread was a huge step for Wonderland Tire, and AcuTread’s mold cure technology proved to be a game-changer, transforming their company for the better.
Contact us for more information about our products, remanufacturing process, facilities, or solutions for your fleet.
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