Magazine for the professional tire industry
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MTD September 2015 News/views TIA names fve to its Hall of Fame The Tire Industry Association (TIA) has named Ross Fischer, Herman "Hy" Freeman, Paul Hyatt, Dr. Raghupati Singhania and Bucky Stein to the TIA Hall of Fame. They will be recognized at TIA's Tire Industry Honors awards ceremony on Nov. 2, 2015. The ceremony takes place one day before the start of the Global Tire Expo-Powered by TIA at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas. Ross Fischer was known for his role in developing a wheel applica- tion for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.'s fotation tires, allowing them to be adapted for use in agriculture. He began working for McCord Auto in Watseka, Ill., in the 1950s. He became sole owner in 1964 and expanded the operation to 14 locations in four states. He sold the busi- ness to Pomp's Tire Service Inc. in 2010. Fischer died in 2013. Herman "Hy" Freeman retired from Rema Tip Top North America Inc. where he was the technical services and training manager. In the 1960s, he helped to establish standards for permanent tire repair, now known as the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) Recommended Repair Procedures. Paul Hyatt began working part-time at Superior Tire & Auto in Toronto, Ontario, when he was 17. Four years later, he was working as a teacher and part-time at Superior Tire. Five years later, he purchased a share of the company from his father-in-law, the company founder. Under his leadership, Superior Tire grew to 16 locations in Ontario. In 2012, he sold the company to two partners and remained as chairman. Dr. Raghupati Singhania is chairman and manag- ing director of JK Tyre & Industries Ltd. in New Delhi, India. The company has a presence in 100 countries, operates nine plants and produces 20 million tires annually. Bucky Stein, founder of Target Tire Inc., was born in 1925 to a father who had a one-man tire repair shop. Stein went into business with his dad after World War II. He founded Target Tire in 1963 in Jacksonville, N.C., and started his own tire brand, Avalon, in 1970. He sold Target Tire in 2004, and the last of the company's retail stores was sold in 2011. TIA also will present the Ed Wagner Leadership Award to Tom Klinge and Kevin Rohlwing. Klinge is managing director and co-founder of the Klinge Group, an international provider of tire man- agement control software and maintenance system services, in Aus- tralia. The company services global mining, construction and transport companies in 29 countries. Rohlwing is TIA's senior vice president of training. He began his career as a technician at his family's tire dealer- ship at the age of 15. In 1996, he joined the International Tire & Rubber Association (which preceded the creation of TIA) to create a training and certifcation program for truck tire technicians. Since then he has developed award-winning training programs for automotive, commercial, earthmover, farm and industrial tires. Horizon adds warranty Horizon Tire Inc., a California-based importer, has added a mileage and road hazard warranty for its Antares and Rydanz passenger and light truck lines. New tech center for Nexen Nexen Tire Corp. plans to build a larger North American technical center in Richfield, Ohio, in 2016. The company has outgrown its current facility in Richfield. Nexen expects to invest about $7 million in the new tech center. Bridgestone redesigns website Bridgestone Americas Inc. has launched its newly redesigned website for Bridgestone-brand passenger and light truck tires, BridgestoneTire.com. Quality Tire joins Michelin Quality Tire Co. has joined the Michelin Commercial Service Network program of Michelin Americas Truck Tires, a division of Michelin North America Inc. The family-owned business has four commercial/retail locations in Salt Lake City, Orem and St. George, Utah, and Billings, Mont. Potenza is OE on Miata The 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club and Grand Touring models will be equipped with Bridgestone Americas Inc.'s Potenza S001 tire. Tool for online shoppers Belle Tire Distributors Inc. has introduced Wheel Visualizer, a tool that enables online shoppers to view images of custom wheels on the make and model of their personal vehicles. Cooper offers rebate Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.'s "Take the Money & Ride" promotion rewards up to a $70 prepaid Visa card for the purchase of qualifying tires Aug. 28 - Oct. 31, 2015. 75 years for ContiTech plant Continental A.G.'s ContiTech division is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its North American manufacturing facility for engineered products in St. Marys, a western Ohio community. bites Hy Freeman Dr. Raghupati Singhania Paul Hyatt 12