TIA Enviro Symposium to Feature Bridgestone’s Handlos
Bob Handlos, vice president of product development for Bridgestone Americas, will be a key session presenter at the upcoming TIA Environmental Symposium. The event will be held Sept. 30 through Oct. 2, at the Ocean City Convention Center in Ocean City, Md., and in conjunction with the Washington, Maryland & Delaware Service Station and Automotive
Hall of Fame Nomination Deadline July 1
Nominations close Thursday, July 1 for the 2010 class for the Tire Industry Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is open to individuals in the tire industry, including manufacturers, inventors, publishers, equipment suppliers, tire association executives, tire dealers, tire and rubber recyclers and retreaders. Inductees are chosen based on their contributions of new ideas,
Chinese Maker Exports Up 56%
Despite import restrictions on Chinese tires in several markets, including the U.S., Argentina and India, Shandong Linglong said it relied upon a “flexible marketing strategy” and introduced new products to counter any resulting downturn. According to Shandong Linglong, between January and April the total amount of foreign exchange it earned through exports has grown 56.47%
Ohio Senate Changes Anti-Dealer Bill
Ohio Senators amended a bill that would have prohibited the sale of OEM parts by independent tire dealers and repair shops. Reacting to efforts by the Ohio Tire & Automotive Association and its members, Senate Bill 204 was amended to allow the independent aftermarket to sell and install OE-produced parts, particularly in the case of
Training Paradigms are Shifting
Although one could correctly argue that the vehicle service business has never been “easy,” things certainly seemed simpler back in the good old days. In many cases, when it came to vehicle maintenance and repair, employees learned the basics at school or perhaps home on a farm, then received whatever additional, specific training was required
AAIA Has New Way to DRIVE Tech Training
Looking to help simplify repair shop and tire dealer efforts to find effective training for their technicians, the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association launched its DRIVE (Directory of Resources for Industry Valued Education) website. Available at www.aftermarket.org/drive, the new Web offering uses Google to search only the training and education information from more than 75 participating
State Exec Calls for GTE Support
Thank you for your editorial (First Off, April 2010) regarding the reinvigoration of our tire industry’s presence with the Global Tire Expo in the annual Las Vegas Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week. I hope readers take note of your most important point: Profits from a TIA-owned show are “reinvested back to benefit the tire industry through
GTE Sets Host Hotel, Special Event Schedule
The new Global Tire Expo Powered by TIA continues to take shape as the association announced its host hotel and outlined special events planned around the 2010 event. The GTE will take place as part of the SEMA Show, set for Nov. 1-5 in Las Vegas. The Paris Hotel & Casino will serve as the
SEMA Hosting Free Exhibitor Summit
SEMA is inviting exhibitors and prospective exhibitors to attend its first SEMA Show Exhibitor Summit, set for May 25-27 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The association said the free two-day event was “designed to get you and your business up-to-speed with important and comprehensive information, techniques and skills to guarantee your SEMA Show experience
Catching Up With Gus, and ASA’s Hijack Job
My very first road assignment as a tire journalist was to visit Paul E. Hawkinson Co. up near Minneapolis. It was just before Columbus Day in 1984, and it snowed. And it was there that I first met Gus Hawkinson, grandson of the founder and the then head of the retread equipment maker. I was