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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While rain and grey skies covered the San Diego skies, camaraderie and cheer buzzed throughout the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego, which welcomed more than 400 Tire Pros dealers and their families last week for the 2023 Tire Pros National Business Conference.
During the conference and afternoon-long tradeshow, dealers received industry updates, learned about new programs, products and initiatives from the Tire Pros franchises and networked with each other about the business. Take a look below at some of the scenes we captured from the show.
Tire Pros dealers kicked off the conference with a reception filled with music, food and games, including cornhole.
No tire industry reception is complete without a full bar! Tire Pros dealers mixed and mingled during the first night of the conference.
During the second day of the conference, dealers walked the trade show floor where they could get hands-on experience with Tire Pros’s “Shop of the Future” technologies.
Tire Pros dealers were able to converse with those involved in Tire Pros mobile tire service van program, including 2U Mobile Tire Solutions and software company Avayler.
Mobile tire service was the latest Tire Pros initiative introduced at the conference and dealers were able to see up close how a mobile tire service van is constructed.
Logan Leslie (center), owner of 14-plus Tire Pros locations in the southern United States enjoys the trade show with his team.
Ryan Goff, president of the National Tire Pros Dealer Council and owner of two Roger’s Tire Pros locations in Idaho, stands next to a Right to Repair banner with a QR code that leads to a website where people can write their U.S. representatives about right-to-repair legislation.
Greg Bell, president of the Tire Pros franchise, kicked off the third day of the conference by explaining the group’s partnership with the Gary Sinise Foundation, which helps veterans, first responders and their families.
Gib Bosworth, vice president of strategic initiatives and outreach for the Gary Sinise Foundation, describes how Tire Pros and ATD’s contribution of $1.5 million last year helped the organisation serve veterans in a variety of ways, which as remodeling their homes to fit any physical needs.
Representatives from the Gary Sinise Foundation stand with ATD executives in front of a van that was custom-wrapped by a Tire Pros franchisee. From left: Gib Bosworth, vice president of strategic initiatives and outreach for the Gary Sinise Foundation; Greg Bell, Tire Pros president; Esmeralda Garica, resource specialist for the Gary Sinise Foundation and widow of a serviceman; Stuart Schuette, president and CEO of ATD; and Nick Kimmel, a triple amputee veteran who has benefitted from the programs of the Gary Sinise Foundation. Bell said the van is equipped with Hercules Tires, which were also installed by a Tire Pros dealer. The foundation has two wrapped vans that it has worked with Tire Pros dealers on customizing.
Continental revealed that Rob Schroeder, former Sr. manager of operations, marketing and analytics, will take over the responsibility of head of region for the United States and Canada. In this role, he will oversee all of material handling, port, earthmoving and agriculture tire business in the United States and Canada. The appointment took effect April 1.
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