LOUISVILLE, Ky.-Three industry veterans will be inducted into the International Tire Retreadingand Repairing Hall of Fame during the American Retreaders' Association's World Tire Conference in Louisville, April 21-23. Scheduled to be honored at the group's April 21 Awards Banquet for their ``outstanding achievements and contributions'' to tire retreading and repairing'' are:
Louis S. ``Lou'' Myers (deceased), co-founder and former chairman of Akron-based Myers Industries Inc.;
Bernard D. ``Bernie'' Alm (deceased), former president of Vulcan Equipment Co.; and
Arthur ``Art'' Hudson, co-founder and former president of Fullerton, Calif.-based Hudson and Odom Tire Co., one of North America's largest off-the-road retreaders.
The International Tire Retreading and Repairing Hall of Fame was established in 1985 ``to honor, preserve and perpetuate the names and outstanding accomplishments of personalities who have brought lasting fame to the tire retreading and repairing industry.''
Lou Myers
Mr. Myers, who died last October, launched Myers Tire Supply Co. in 1933 while in partnership with his brother, Meyer Myers. In the decades that followed, he is credited with helping develop and market numerous technological advancements including:
The industry's first automatic buffer-the Neilsen buffer;
The first air-operated skiving tools and tungsten carbide rasps for tire repair use; and
Portable C-clamp section repair curing units and automatic steam control stations.
Mr. Myers received the ARA's Leadership Award in 1993.
Bernie Alm
Mr. Alm was an entrepreneur who developed and pioneered use of tire section repair molds as well as the company's ``Treadbonder'' adjustable precure retreading module.
Mr. Alm became president of Vulcan Equipment Co. in 1961, after purchasing the tire repair equipment maker from his father.
Two years later, he added precure retreading equipment to the Toronto-based company's previously existing tire repair lines, creating the firm's Vulcap Divison.
Under Mr. Alm's direction, Vulcan Equipment later branched out into automotive service equipment, offering its own line of air- and hydraulic-operated jacks and hoists, and then diversified further with the addition of material loading and military equipment divisions.
Mr. Alm died in June of 1992. However, the company continues the tradition that he and his father established in concentrating on innovative, yet reasonably priced equipment to answer the needs of industry users.
Art Hudson
Mr. Hudson is a retreader most widely known for his contributions to the industry's off-the-road tire segment.
During his long career, Mr. Hudson developed innovative systems at his retread plants for reducing labor fatigue and increasing productivity-innovations he shared with the industry at large.
Retreaders from all over the world visited Hudson and Odom plants seeking the best methods and techniques for retreading large off-the-road tires.
For example, Mr. Hudson pioneered use of the strip winding process for applying hot tread rubber to buffed OTR casings. The first prototype of the AMF 500 OTR (Orbitread) machine was put into use at his Kansas City, Kan., plant. Based on that experience, Mr. Hudson recommended many design changes to make the unit acceptable for use industrywide.
He also provided the design for AMF's first Twin Head 510 OTR builder, which allowed continuous tread-building without disruption for loading or off-loading.
Today, the 500 and 510 machines are used worldwide for retreading OTR tires as well as for applying uncured tread stock during the manufacture of new OTR tires.
Mr. Hudson founded Hudson and Odom Tire Co. in 1963 along with partners Bill and Frank Odom. The company was sold in 1984 and is now a division of Northwest Retreaders Inc. of Portland, Ore., which ranked second in TIRE BUSINESS' April 5, 1993, listings of North America's largest OTR tire retreaders.
Mr. Hudson now serves as a consultant specializing in retreading and repairing of off-the-road tires.