Alabama Dealer Association Elects Officers, Inducts Two to HOF

At the Alabama Tire Dealers Association’s annual convention and general business meeting, which took place June 11-12 in Stone Mountain, Ga., new officers and board members were elected. The association also inducted two members into its Hall of Fame and awarded five scholarships.

The new officers are:
President – Mike Griffin, McGriff Tire, Huntsville
1st vice president – Dolan Davis Jr., Southside Davis Tire, Tuscaloosa
2nd vice president – Scott Roberson, Royal Tire Service, Sylacuaga
Secretary/treasurer – Bob Gipson, Gipson Auto Tire, Prattville

New board members include: Michael Johnston, Tire Engineers, Birmingham; Steve Westmoreland, Westmoreland Tire, Ft. Payne; Frank Harcrow, Tire Supplies of Alabama, Fultondale; and Paul Higgins, S & S Tire, Theodore.

Returning board members are: Bruce Bedsole, Herndon Tire, Eufaula; Robert Bell, Birmingham Auto Clean, Birmingham; David Bracato, Frederickson’s Tire, Sheffield; Richard Greene, Trax Tire, Theodore; Dewane Haynes, Sweat Tire, Robertsdale; and Jim Short, Radial Tire, Jasper.

The past president’s council consists of: Eddie Hardwick, Road-Mart, Ozark; Barry McGirt, American Tire Distributors, Cullman; Rhett Marques, Goodson Tires, Enterprise; and Steve Breland, Top Line Tires, Huntsville.

The two new members inducted into the association’s hall of fame are Jim Whaley from Jim Whaley’s Tires in Dothan, Ala., and Frank Harcrow from Tire Supplies of Alabama in Fultondale, Ala.

Whaley started working in the tire industry at age 15 with Big 10 Tires. He opened Jim Whaley’s Tires, Inc., in 1986 in Dothan. The business has grown to include three locations in Dothan, one in Enterprise, one in Ozark and a wholesale warehouse in Dothan. Whaley is a past president of the ATDA and served on the board of directors for many years, also serving on the scholarship committee.

Harcrow began working in the tire industry at age 14 at OK Tire in Gadsden. His work affiliations have included Woolco, Firestone, Hefner Tire, and four years with Southeastern Tire Supply. In 1988, Frank went to work for Dugco Supply. In 2003, Frank teamed up with Steve Westmoreland to form Tire Supplies of Alabama. Serving in every position of the ATDA board of directors and executive committee, Frank’s most prominent role has been as chairman of the March Mania tradeshow committee.

The 2010 scholarship recipients are: Mary Beth Seale (sponsored by Westmoreland Tire Co.), Tiffany Shae Carroll (sponsored by Wilks Tire), Bridget Trammell (sponsored by McGriff Industries), Justin Lee (sponsored by McGriff Tire), and Kaleb Bryan McCreless (sponsored by McGriff Tire).

GRI recently conducted programs in Sri Lanka to empower women and motivate children under its Green x Circle initiative. The company said these endeavors aimed to address the needs of the community, focusing on both women empowerment and youth motivation.

GRI recently organized a training program titled "Management of household finance under current economic conditions" at the Ingiriya Rubber Collecting Center in Sri Lanka, South Asia led by Shashika Nimali, an NLP practitioner and life coach. The company said this initiative provided women in the industry with essential skills and knowledge to effectively manage household finances. GRI's tailored training sessions equipped participants with tools for informed decision-making, ultimately fostering greater financial security and independence, the company said.