I am truly honored to serve as president of the Tire Industry Association (TIA) beginning in November. I look forward to expanding upon the great work accomplished by Ken Brown, the entire board of directors, and the TIA staff.
With more than 27 years in the industry, it is exciting for me to have the opportunity to give back to the industry by serving as president of TIA and to be only the third woman to serve in this role in the entire history of the association.
I have two goals as president. The first is to maintain the business plan as set by the board in order to continue the healthy growth of TIA, and the second is to highlight the retread industry and renew its opportunities in the association.
Training
TIA remains the undisputed leader in tire technician training. With more than 88,000 technicians trained and/or certified, TIA’s training programs in automotive, commercial and farm tire service have changed the ways tires are serviced.
This year, our Farm Tire Service program added hands-on training classes in a number of locations throughout the U.S. and Canada with tremendous success. In 2015, we will add the Industrial Tire Service program to our selection of educational resources. We will continue to improve our existing training programs by keeping the content current with updates in the near future.
The more technicians that are trained, the safer our roads, technicians and workplaces will be. If your company has not yet participated in any TIA training, I highly encourage you to do so.
With many of our training programs available through TIA’s Online University, it is more convenient and affordable than ever to have each and every one of your technicians trained.
Retreading
My entire career has been centered on retreading with Purcell Tire & Rubber Co., so I hope to use my platform as TIA president to shine a light on the positive role that it plays in the industry. When I started in the tire business in 1972, the process was very labor intensive and required a high degree of craftsmanship.
With all of the technology and computerization that goes into modern retread systems, the performance and reliability has evolved to a point where retreading is a crucial part of the world economy. I am committed to bringing more attention to the retread industry so people understand the environmental and economic benefits that it provides.
Government Relations
TIA continues to be the leading advocate for the industry in Washington. TIA’s government affairs team, led by Roy Littlefield, continues to help fight issues that can and will have a negative impact on the tire industry.
TIA always has our best interests in mind. Each year, we face more and more proposed legislation and regulation and TIA always makes sure that our voices are heard at the federal and state levels.
Consumer Education
TIA plays a very important role in safeguarding the motoring public through its consumer education videos. Since 2013, TIA has released five consumer education videos in a series called “Tire Safety Starts With…”, and topics have included tire inspection, winter tires, tire replacement, TPMS and proper tire repair.
TIA plans to continue to produce additional videos during the upcoming year. These videos are available for free download and distribution by everyone in the industry.
I encourage retailers to provide direct links to the videos on their websites and/or share them via social media. The videos can also be viewed at youtube.com/tiresafetystartshere.
Under my leadership, TIA will continue to provide resources and expertise on tire maintenance and safety to the public.
2014 Global Tire Expo
The Global Tire Expo – Powered by TIA continues to grow. Booth space is completely sold out for this year’s event and attendance is projected to be higher than last year. GTE is truly the place to be in the tire industry.
TIA will be hosting a number of pre-GTE special events on Monday, Nov. 3, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. We will gather at the Tire Industry Honors Awards Ceremony to recognize and honor a number of people who have made considerable contributions to our industry.
Personally, I couldn’t be more excited about this year’s event as we will be inducting Juanita Purcell, among others, into the Tire Industry Hall of Fame. I have had the pleasure of working with Juanita for the past 27 years. As another woman in a male-dominated industry, she has served as a mentor to me throughout my career.
In addition to the Awards Ceremony, there will be excellent opportunities for networking at the Cock- tail Hour and the TIA Welcome Reception. I hope you will attend all of these events and take the time to say hello.
And of course, the Global Tire Expo at the SEMA Show will open its doors on Tuesday, Nov. 4. TIA will be hosting its popular educational sessions during GTE, led by some of the industry’s top experts and promise to deliver a wealth of information.
OTR Conference
If you are involved in the OTR sector of the tire industry, I hope you will plan to attend the TIA OTR Conference, which will be hosted Feb. 18-21, 2015, at the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa in Tucson, Ariz. The OTR Conference features top-notch educational sessions, opportunities for global networking and the always-popular golf tournament, which will be hosted at the resort’s signature course, designed by Jack Nicklaus. For non-golfers, we will also have a sporting clay tournament and a number of other leisure programs, yet to be announced, to choose from.
This year’s keynote speaker, Mark Kelly, commander of Space Shuttle Endeavour’s final mission, a retired U.S. Navy captain, best-sell’ing author, prostate cancer survivor, and an experienced Naval aviator who flew combat missions during the Gulf War, will deliver an inspirational message about being your best while remaining true to your core values.
Kelly is also well-known as the husband of former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who suffered a tragic 2011 assassination attempt, and was instrumental in her recovery. Giffords has her own connection to our industry as the former president of El Campo Tire & Service Centers Inc. He exemplifies leadership, teamwork, and courage under pressure, and OTR Conference attendees are in for a real treat in getting to hear Capt. Kelly’s story.
If you are a current TIA member, I am pleased that you see the tremendous value in TIA membership. And if you aren’t a member, ask yourself, why would a tire company or tire affiliated business not want to be part of an association that provides industry oversight and is directed by a board comprised of your peers? I can’t think of a single reason. A strong membership base ensures we can continue to provide the services that tire dealers and retreaders need to prosper in today’s economy.
Call us at 800-876-8372 or email [email protected] and let us show you why your membership and involvement in TIA will pay for itself many times over.
I am looking forward to serving as TIA president and will work endlessly to serve the association, its members and the entire industry. Please join me in continuing a tradition of success by getting involved in the association. Our members are the backbone of TIA and we’re here to serve you.
With that in mind, I invite you to contact me to share your ideas, thoughts or feedback to improve TIA by sending an email to [email protected].
