Four memorable contributors were inducted into the Tire
Industry Hall of Fame last night at TIA’s third annual Tire Industry Honors
event.
The highly international Tire Industry Hall of Fame Class of
2011 includes:
• Bill Fountain, co-founder Canada’s Fountain Tire.
• John Gamauf, former head of Bridgestone/Firestone Inc.’s
consumer tire division.
• Onkar Kanwar, chairman of India’s Apollo Tyres Ltd.
• Ralph “Buddy” Snow, vice president and general counsel for
Oliver Rubber Co.
Founding Edmonton, Alb.-based Fountain Tire in 1956, Bill and Jack Fountain
opened the first Fountain Tire store in Wainwright, Alb. Bill’s vision and
drive led the company to add agricultural tire services to meet the needs of
local farmers and to eventually expand the business into more rural areas. He
established stores in Fort St. John, B.C., and Whitehorse, Yukon Territories –
towns that serviced much of the burgeoning Alaska Highway. In 1967, Fountain
and other tire dealers from Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta formed
Astro Tire & Rubber Co., creating their own private label tire brand. In
1976, 20 years after he had started the business, Bill was killed in a tragic
car accident. Today, Fountain Tire has 145 locations across western Canada.
John Gamauf, former head of Bridgestone/Firestone Inc.'s consumer tire division
Gamauf joined the former Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. in
1969 as a general service technician at one of its Chicago retail stores.
Quickly rising through the ranks, Gamauf became one of the most dynamic and
influential individuals in the tire industry, and is widely considered as a key
player in Bridgestone/Firestone Inc.’s – and the Firestone brand’s – survival
from the Ford/Firestone tire recall of 2000. He was also primarily responsible
for creating the tiremaker’s Affiliated Dealer Program, a core component of the
company’s “family channel” philosophy. In May 2003, he assumed the title of
president of consumer replacement tire for Bridgestone/Firestone North American
Tire, and he served in this capacity until his retirement in May 2008.
Onkar Kanwar’s leadership was key to the turnaround and
modernization of Apollo Tyre. Under his leadership, Apollo Tyres transformed
itself from an ailing company to become the number one tire manufacturer in
India and now a global entity with a full-fledged product portfolio,
manufacturing facilities on three continents and multiple brands across product
segments. He has been closely associated with leading national and
international industry organizations, including serving as president of FICCI
and chairman of Asian Tyre Manufacturers Association. An initiative close to
his heart is Apollo Tyres’ HIV-AIDS awareness and prevention program for local
communities.
During TIA's Tire Industry Honors event last evening, 2011 Tire Review Top Award winner Virginia Tire & Auto was formally introduced. One hand for the announcement were (from left) Tire Review publisher David Moniz; Julie Holmes, Myron Boncarosky, Carole Boncarosky and Mike Holmes of Virginia Tire; and Tire Review editor Jim Smith.
Ralph “Buddy” Snow started his career in the retread
industry with his family-owned business, Dixie-Cap, in 1965. In 1969, he was
elected president of Dixie-Cap and served in that capacity until the company
was acquired by Oliver Rubber Co. in 1979. For the next 23 years, he served as
the vice president and general counsel for Oliver Rubber, until retiring in
2002. He was one of the founders of the Tread Rubber & Tire Repair
Materials Manufacturing Group, and was actively involved in the formation of
the Tire Retread Information Bureau, where he served as corporate secretary and
as a member of its board of directors. He also helped form the Retread Industry
Government Advisory Council.
The Tire Industry Honors event also featured award winners
and honorees from tire industry publications, such as Tire Review’s Top Shop
Award winner and Modern Tire Dealer’s recognition of the outgoing TIA president
Mike Berra. In addition, the event saw the formal installation of TIA incoming
president Larry Brandt.