Who Owns Thunderer Tires?

Thunderer's history is bound to American Omni Trading's evolution from importer to brand owner. AOT was incorporated on March 4, 1990, by Tom Brackin, a tire industry veteran, and Michael Dunlap of Dunlap and Kyle. The company began selling Indian-made truck tires in Latin America before building Asian supply relationships in China and Thailand during the mid-1990s.

AOT's most important supplier relationship has been with Deestone Co. Ltd. of Thailand, a partnership dating to 1994 that eventually made Deestone the primary manufacturer of the Thunderer line. As the company moved into consumer tires, it developed two principal in-house brands: Americus, sold broadly through multiple distributors, and Thunderer, channeled through regional wholesalers to protect dealer margins.

The Thunderer line grew into a complete consumer and commercial program: passenger and CUV touring tires, SUV and light truck all-terrain and mud-terrain patterns such as the Mach and Ranger series, specialty trailer tires, and a TBR line for commercial trucks. A 2024 dealer event at MSR Houston Speedway showcased the Thunderer Mach I Plus and Americus Recon Tour, with Deestone executives present to underline the factory relationship.

AOT has reported growth above 200 percent over a recent five-year span, and the Thunderer brand now covers more than 320 sizes across roughly 20 product lines.