Dublin entrepreneur Torbjorn “Mini” Lundqvist is about to start production on TyreAid a proven business he’s developed for years that could bring dozens of jobs to town and benefit local industries.
TyreAid is a tire pressure monitoring system that is mounted on tire hubs that works even when the vehicle (or trailer) is not on and fits any commercial tire from 25 to 175 psi.
The device has compensation for ambient temperature and equalization for dual wheels. In design documents, Mini said TyreAid fits needs for trucking, container chassis, off-road and earth moving equipment, harbor equipment and the dairy industry.
The battery-powered device is mounted on the hub and thanks to high quality proprietary material reads actual drops of as little as 8 psi. Once a drop in pressure is registered, a communications unit placed in the vehicle alerts the driver of the drop (and sends a message to the vehicle’s headquarters). They can then go examine the tires and the one that triggered the alert will be flashing with an LED light bright enough to be seen day or night. Each sensor mounted on an axle can be paired so the communications unit will read for vehicles and trailers.
The sensors are graded for 10 years of operation on a single replaceable battery.
The devices are monitored online through consumer software that TyreAid provides to customers. Once a day, the sensing unit checks for software upgrades through 5G and the GPS coordinates are logged, allowing for the location of underinflated tires in chassis in harbor storage or help in monitoring trailers.
Mini reports the device, as an aftermarket TPMS, provides benefits such as enhanced safety, decreased fuel consumption, longer tire life and improved environmental impact.
The device has its origins in another device called Air Alert, valve caps that Mini designed for consumer vehicles to keep track of drops in tire pressure and were sold in major store like Wal-Mart. Mini has a history in auto sales, race car driving/ design and aviation upgrades so he knew the problems possible with unmonitored tires.
Once it became standard for regular vehicles to include TPMS, Mini recognized it wasn’t required for commercial trucking but was still beneficial. He pivoted TyreAid to that industry and established a business in Wyoming with manufacturing overseas.
Mini found himself cut off from part of his business during the COVID-19 pandemic so he had to take a job as a commercial truck driver himself (leading him to better understand the needs of that industry). He drove on a team with Rulon Pitcher, who had money to invest and saw the potential in TyreAid.
They decided to look for a new headquarters for both marketing and manufacture and found a 17,000 square foot facility that once house a large scale sewing company and business storage. He moved into the facility in 2022, dedicating the company to US-made products and direct service.
Moving into Dublin made Mini realize the need for TyreAid in another market with a variety of vehicles: dairies. He met with a dairy owner and discovered they spent more than $200,000 on under-inflated tires. (Heavy equipment tires can cost up to $15,000 and front-end loader tires can have a break in the side wall if they drop from 35 to 30 psi. The dairy owner said they were interested once he started production.
They were very close to production after securing a loan to allow large scale purchasing of parts for price breaks when tragedy struck last year. Pitcher’s truck was in an accident and he died.
Without his investment, the loan was off the table and the cost for parts went up. Mini reported he’s finally close to starting back up and estimates he’s about two months from production and servicing clients. He will start with a small crew of about six workers but has the space to expand to more than 30 once the demand is up.
If he can find another investor, that will speed things along in getting devices ready for customers, some of which are standing by once enough devices are made. Mini said he would like to get the business established as a turn key so once it is firmly established and he’s ready to retire, t can be sold keeping the business and jobs here in Dublin with its access to highways and key industries.
“The hard part for any entrepreneur is to start from scratch,” said Mini “You need a system which works. If you buy a company that’s profitable, you don’t have to change anything.”
Mini reports more than 22 million miles on his devices and is excited about what it can do for Dublin and customers. For more information, visit tyreaid.com or email mini@tyreaid.com.