2013 won't be a boom year for tire sales, particularly the aftermarket, according to several tire

company executives.

The North American replacement industry remains at historic low levels, most likely due to the
challenging economic conditions, said Steve McClellan, president of Goodyear's North American
Tire business.

John Baratta, president of consumer replacement tire sales for the U.S. and Canada for Bridgestone
Americas Tire Operations, expects small increases in demand, better for the original equipment
sector than the replacement market.

Vehicle miles driven is not expected to show a great recovery, having posted only a 0.7-percent
gain over a very poor 2011 and remaining far below the peaks in the middle of the last decade, he
said.

And Jochen Etzel, CEO of Continental Tire the Americas L.L.C., sees the tire-buying public reflecting
the overall behavior of consumers in a slow-growth economy.

Driven by the overall economic uncertainty, we see a continuation of the uncertainty in buying
behavior, Etzel said.

McClellan, citing a Rubber Manufacturers Association survey that showed one in eight vehicles have
at least one bald tire, said that fact means it is not a question of "if' but "when' industry volumes
return to more normal levels.

Conti's Etzel said uncertainty in the economy makes it hard to make plans. The rebound in new car
sales may be one contributor to the current lack of growth we see in the replacement business, but
hope-fully (we) will see growth in the coming years.

He does anticipate a decent year for commercial vehicle sales.

From a commercial truck tire perspective, the Continental outlook for 2013 is positive, he said.
Freight is moving and most carriers are experiencing positive results. Add to the increased freight
volumes the changing regulations such as Hours of Service, CARB Requirements, etc., and we see
more trucks on the road driving more miles.

Bridgestone America's Baratta also sees a positive year ahead for the consumer replacement tire
sector, with growth of about 2 percent.

He predicts original equipment demand will rise 3 percent.

On the consumer side, the market is showing strong growth in the UHP and (crossover vehicle)
categories, Baratta said. The ongoing shift to UHP and CUV occurring at OE will continue to drive
good demand for these segments in the replacement market. We are also seeing good growth in the
fuel-efficient (tire) segment with our Ecopia product.

Baratta sees another factor influencing tire consumption.

The largest determinant of demand is population growth, which is expected to be only a fraction of 1
percent, he said. So we anticipate only a slight increase in demand.

McClellan said Goodyear's strategywhat the company calls the seven megatrendsstill remains
relevant even in the lackluster environment, and the tire maker still sees the trends playing out.

The technological advancements of the tire industry remain strong and play to our strengths, he
said, noting that industry volumes clearly have slowed versus the projections of many experts.

We are reacting to that, but remain steadfast in our belief that the growth trends will occur over the
mid to long term. For now Goodyear remains focused on its near-term performance.

Clearly, with volumes as low as they are, this requires a different approach than we originally
envisioned when these goals were established at the beginning of 2011, he said. We will have to
rely less on volume and more on the value proposition of our products and on improved cost
efficiency.

McClellan said consumers are likely delaying purchases because of the weak economy. While
rebates may play a role with some consumers, we believe that when presented with the proper value
proposition, consumers are willing to pay for the value of the brand, the innovation that goes into the
tire and performance of the tire, he said.