Madeleine Winer is Editor of Tire Review magazine. She joined the Tire Review staff as a senior editor in 2017. Before joining the tire industry, she worked as a producer and reporter at the Louisville Courier Journal. She is a graduate of Kent State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism and speaks Spanish fluently.
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It’s showtime, baby! From Nov. 1-4, the 2022 SEMA Show was in full swing. Whether you walked the aisles of the Lower South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center or watched the show unfold from your computer screen, you know we came across a slew of souped-up vehicles–whether they’re low-riders or off-road rigs– that will make your jaw drop to the floor. Especially in the Global Tire Expo this year, manufacturers have also debuted a ton of new products or highlighted a few from their current product lines.
In addition to the custom rides, we were out and about attending Tire Industry Association, AAPEX and manufacturer events, where industry leaders were honored for their work and dedication to our beloved industry. You can find our coverage of all SEMA events here.
Take a look below at some of the sights and sounds we’ve seen as we’ve dove into this year’s Industry Eeek.
Connecting the Lower South Hall and Central Hall, Toyo Tire’s Treadpass showcased 28 unique vehicles this year, one of them featuring Toyo’s newest tire, the Open Country R/T Trail, on a Ford Bronco.Sometimes, cool things do happen after dark. Leaving the Global tire Expo, this lifted pickup truck glowed with red lights in the wheel well and the wheels themselves. High-profile Delinte Thunderer D7 tires found their home on a custom Subaru BRZ from Risen Racing.The Maxxis Tires booth featured the brand’s Roxxzilla tires for side-by-sides and UTVs.The Toyo Tires Treadpass area at the SEMA Show featured a widebody Mercedes Benz 300 SL with Toyo Proxes R888R DOT Competition tires.
Atturo Tire shows off its new Trail Blade X/T at its booth. Learn more about the tires here.
Cooper Tire showcases its Discoverer STT Pro tire.
Hunter Engineering demos its new Maverick tire changer. Learn more about it here.
A demo of Hunter’s new TXC51C tire changer helps SEMA visitors learn the features and benefits of the machine.
Landsail’s StormBlazer X/T is on display on an overlanding vehicle.
Milestar Tires showcases its Patagonia M/T on an off-road rig.
Tire Review’s Maddie Winer (right) with this year’s Top Shop Award Winners Laura (left) and Aaron Telle (center) of Telle Tire & Auto Centers after honoring them with this year’s Top Shop Award at the Tire Industry Association’s Honors Awards Ceremony.
Aaron Telle (center), president and CEO of Telle Tire & Auto Centers, celebrated the business’s Top Shop Honors with members of his team.
Mason Hess, outgoing TIA president, reflects on his time at the helm and thanks TIA members and staff during TIA’s Tire Industry Honors Awards Ceremony Monday night.
Michael DePaolis, son of Joe DePaolis, reflects on his father’s work in the tire industry and what the industry gave back to his father during TIA’s Honors Awards Ceremony. Outgoing TIA President Mason Hess (right), director of Purcell Tire’s global mining division, hands the gavel over to Jim Pangle (left), business development specialist for Fountain Tire, during TIA’s annual meeting, signifying the transfer of TIA leadership. Deborah Hamlin (far right), current TIA secretary and director of environment, health, safety and sustainability – Commercial Tire Division for Bridgestone Americas, looks on.Alex Boehnke, executive director of the Ohio Tire & Automotive Association, was recognized for his leadership among state tire associations with the Industry Achievement Award. Roy Littlefield IV, vice president of government affairs for TIA, presented the award to Boehnke.Dick Gust (right), TIA CEO, presented a plaque to Dick Nordness, executive director of the Northwest Tire Dealers Association, for his advocacy work on behalf of the industry as he approaches retirement.Dick Gust, TIA CEO, honors outgoing TIA president Mason Hess, thanking Hess for his service to the organization.
Turbo Wholesale Tires welcomed more than 400 tire dealers to its annual open house at its Oak Park (metro Detroit), Michigan distribution center May 2. This year, the event featured three events at once: a trade show, a buyer's event and a dinner for tire dealers who are part of the Turbo Wholesale Tires group. The major announcement of the night came from Todd Pickens, chief commercial officer at Turbo Wholesale Tires, who presented Lexani’s entry into the EV tire market: The Volt-EC. Lexani is one of Turbo Wholesale Tires’ proprietary tire lines, which also includes Lionhart and Rolling Big Power (RBP) brands.
