Magazine for the professional tire industry
Issue link: https://mtd.epubxp.com/i/762675
MTD December 2016 TIA members celebrate success and prepare for 2017 The tire industry kicked off its biggest week of the year on Oct. 31, 2016, with the Tire Industry Asso- ciation (TIA) awards ceremony. The annual event is held on the eve of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show and Automotive Aftermar- ket Products Expo (AAPEX) in Las Vegas, Nev. The highlight of the evening was the induction of four members to TIA's Hall of Fame: Dan Brown, Richard Gust, the late Frederick Kovac, and the late Charles Sherkin. Dan Brown, who this year retired as executive vice president of American Tire Distributors Inc. and president of Tire Pros, attended with his wife, Donna, son Pierce, and daughter Katherine. He told attendees he was surprised at his children's excite- ment. But it wasn't the allure of the city that never sleeps. They were excited "to go to the Hall of Fame and see his statue." The family planned to seek out a wax museum, and Brown joked he'd look for his best likeness. Richard "Dick" Gust, president of national account sales and director of government affairs for Liberty Tire Recycling, talked about how he entered the industry as a kid, rolling tires around his father's auto center until he found a good one to clean up and resell as a used tire. Now his company picks up tires from 8,000 of those shops each day. Fred Kovac died in 1996 after a career at Good- year Tire & Rubber Co. His brother Harvey accepted the award on his behalf and said, "I'm honored to be here for Fred. I really am. I'd rather he be here." Charles "Husky" Sherkin died five years ago, and his son Bob said his dad was like a lot of tire dealers — they seem to have carbon black in their blood. And when you're a retreader of off-the-road tires, Bob Sherkin said it's like having carbon black in your blood, only on steroids. As TIA members celebrated the newest Hall of Famers' contributions, they also prepared for the year ahead. At TIA's annual member- ship meeting earlier in the day, Tom Formanek officially took over as president from Glen Nicholson. TIA's activities are the starting point for Modern Tire Dealer's coverage of the SEMA Show and AAPEX. Our show coverage begins on page 22. — Joy Kopcha News/views The 2016 TIA Hall of Fame inductees, from left: Dick Gust, Bob Sherkin for his late father, Charles "Husky" Sherkin, Dan Brown, and Harvey Kovac for his late brother Fred Kovac. The 2016 and 2015 MTD Tire Dealers of the Year meet: Alpio Barbara of Redwood General Tire is on the left, and Ricky Benton of Black's Tire Service Inc. is on the right. Cheers to the tire industry! Friends gather at the recep- tion before the TIA Hall of Fame induc- tion ceremony in- side the Tropicana on Oct. 31, 2016. 10