Tire Leadership 21, a two week- educational program for tire dealers, graduated another class of participants last month.

Tire Leadership 21 was specifically designed to develop the next generation of professionals who work in tire retail, commercial and retread environments. The program covers a wide range of business, management and leadership topics that are critical to the success of the independent tire and service industry.

“Both the material presented and the faculty exceeded expectations,” said Patrick Smith of Matthews Tire, Green Bay, Wis. “I feel that I am better prepared for future responsibilities because of my Tire 21 experience. It’s a first-class program that focuses on the skills that are important to current and future business leaders.”

The program was created through a unique collaboration between a group of leading tire dealers – the Center for Tire and Service Education – and Northwood University.

Gold Level Sponsors of Tire Leadership 21 included American Tire Distributors, Continental, and Marangoni Tread North America. Each company generously donated scholarship funding that reduced each attendee’s tuition payment.

The program’s structure features a pair of one-week, on-campus sessions. Session I was hosted in late March at Northwood’s campus in Midland, Mich. Participants reconvened mid-September at Advance Auto Parts headquarters in Raleigh, N.C. At the conclusion of the program, participants were required to complete an individual project that had to deliver $25,000 in annual, additional revenue or savings to their employers.

Academic support for the program comes from Northwood University. Faculty for Tire Leadership 21 came from a combination of Northwood’s DeVos Graduate School of Management and subject-matter experts from within the tire and service industries. The program also included top-level guest speakers, such as Continental Vice President Bill Caldwell.

The program included a range of university-level tire dealer focused business, management and leadership subjects:

• Finance
• Accounting
• Business Strategy
• Management
• Corporate Vision
• Leadership
• Operations
• Industry Trends
• Marketing & Social Media
• Team & Corporate Culture
• The Customer Experience
• Critical Thinking
• Problem Resolution

The next Tire Leadership 21 program will begin in early 2016, with the first session hosted April 10-15 at Northwood’s campus in Midland, Mich. The second session will be held Sept. 11-16 in Raleigh, N.C. The program fee is $5,995 and includes everything except for travel and lodging. For more information and to register, please visit www.universityoftheaftermarket.com or call 1-800-551-2882.