Will We Have to Build a Palace, Too?

Speaking of endlessly rehashed phrases ending in the words “czar” or “gate,” seems like well-retired and maybe too revered former GE chief Jack Welch is the front-runner for any U.S. government oversight of the U.S. auto industry.

Longtime Tire Review Editor Jim Smith passed away on Feb. 18, 2016. He was 57. With 30 years in the tire and automotive industries, Jim's communications experience included stints as a newspaper reporter and editor, a public relations manager and a variety of creative and management roles with a B2B marketing communications agency. A Kent State University journalism major, Jim served as editor for a number of community newspapers in Northeast Ohio before joining Modern Tire Dealer in 1984. After four years in brand and corporate public relations roles with Bridgestone Americas, Jim joined Nashville's Stumpf Bartels Advertising in 1992. He became Tire Review's editor in October 1999. Jim was honored with the Ed Wagner Tire Industry Leadership Award by the Tire Industry Association in November 2014.

Published: December 10, 2008

Congress may well tell the Big 3 that if they want out booty, they will have an overseer. Welch’s name immediately hit airwaves as TV pundit after TV pundit failed to come up with other names.

Haven’t heard a squeak from Welch, of course, but the media has already crowned the Welch, who now writes a column for BusinessWeek (probably the most useful and intelligent business magazine out there).

I’m all in favor of someone watchdogging our tax dollars, but maybe he should be keeping an eye on those arses in the financial markets and our hundreds of billions there instead of overseeing an industry that needs a complete rebuild.

If you have comments to share, send to me at [email protected].

– Jim Smith

Hunter Elite HD Wheel Balancer: 19.5-in. balancing procedure

What the Hunter HD Elite Wheel Balancer can do for a 19.5-in. tire that a standard balancer can’t.

By Tire Review Staff

Published: May 2, 2024

Joe Keene, automotive content video producer at Babcox Media, speaks with Hunter Engineering service rep Rick Marzen on why the Hunter Elite HD Wheel Balancer can accommodate a 19.5-inch tire with an unusual hub mounting better than a standard balancer. This video is sponsored by Hunter Engineering Co.