Yes, it's that time of year when Tire Business takes a ``serious'' look at some of the events of the past 12 months that made this industry such a fun place in which to work. We've got to warn you: Some of the following questions can have more than one answer. Although some ``answers'' may seem a bit bizarre, you've gotta know that just about anything can happen in this wild, wacky business. Oh, and please note that no animals were harmed in the preparation of this quiz.
1. After more than four decades in the tire retreading and repair business and 10 years as the executive director of the former International Tire & Rubber Association, Marvin Bozarth retired to:
a. Become a competitive swimmer and try out for the Senior Olympics team.
b. Be a tire industry consultant.
c. Open a retreading plant in the Cayman Islands.
d. Be a backup singer for country music legend Johnny Cash.
2. Long-time tire industry journalist and Tire Business executive editor Chuck Slaybaugh announced his retirement in order to:
a. Form a World Wrestling Entertainment tag-team duo with Marvin Bozarth.
b. Write freelance articles for Tire Business.
c. Work around the house doing whatever his wife wants.
d. Become a screenwriter whose first project will be ``Tire Wars''-the sixth flick in George Lucas's ``Star Wars'' trilogy.
3. At its annual dealer meeting, held in Maui, Hawaii, Continental Tire North America Inc. execs promised dealers it would put a stop to continued losses and fill-rate problems by:
a. Marketing a Pirelli-like annual pin-up calendar featuring photos of ``tires in the buff.''
b. Restructuring its two tire business divisions into a passenger/light truck unit and a commercial business unit.
c. Changing its name to General Tire and moving from Charlotte, N.C., back to Akron.
d. Taking them to Hawaii for every annual dealer meeting.
4. This well-known corporate mascot made an ``in-your-face'' appearance outside Goodyear's Akron corporate headquarters:
a. The Stay Puff Marshmallow Man.
b. Oscar Meyer's ``Weinermobile.''
c. Michelin's ``Bibendum.''
d. The Rubber Manufacturers Association's ``Phillip the Tire.''
5. When it launched a tire replacement program that would remove 13 million Firestone tires from its vehicles, Ford Motor Co. promised to recycle each in a responsible manner. In addition to uses such as crumb rubber, some of the tires ended up:
a. As tire planters in Ford CEO Bill Ford's front yard.
b. As the world's largest tire sculpture at Ford's Detroit headquarters.
c. In the turf for the football stadium for the Detroit Lions, owned by the Ford family.
d. Being purchased for a half-cent a tire by the Tire Retread Information Bureau's managing director, Harvey Brodsky.
6. Following its filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Jan. 15, California's Winston Tire Co.:
a. Pledged it would ``regain profitability'' within five months and emerge from Chapter 11 leaner and stronger.
b. Changed its slogan to: ``Tastes Good Like a Tire Dealership Should.''
c. Saw the assets of a number of its stores taken over by Goodyear, which plans to convert more than 40 locations to Just Tires outlets.
d. Began using the image of the company's late founder, Sam Winston, in ads.
7. Michelin North America Inc. discontinued its almost 3-year-old ``Maximum Value Policy'' pricing program for its BFGoodrich Radial All-Terrain T/AKO light truck tire line because:
a. No one would buy the tires at $700 apiece.
b. Consumers heard ``MVP'' and thought Michelin had a baseball team.
c. The company said its policy accomplished the goal ``to put the value of the product in line with the price of the product.''
d. Dealers liked the program too much.
8. Heafner Tire Group Inc. decided to change its name to American Tire Distributors because:
a. It's an American company and it distributes tires.
b. The wholesaler wanted to reflect the national reach of its business and its transformation into a ``single-minded organization.''
c. The name Goodyear was already taken.
d. Heafner President/CEO Dick Johnson was promised a better parking space.
9. Pirelli Tire North America Inc. named a new president/CEO Feb. 1. He is:
a. Maurice ``Morry'' Taylor Jr.
b. Tony Soprano.
c. Topo Gigio.
d. Gaetano Mannino.
10. Cleveland-based retail chain Mueller Tire & Brake, established in 1918, was sold to TBC Corp.'s Tire Kingdom Inc. subsidiary. Co-owners Scott and Dean Mueller said they decided to sell to TBC because:
a. They were promised keys to the kingdom and special crowns.
b. ``We had a good offer.''
c. They wanted to go to Disney World.
d. They're tired of Cleveland winters.
11. After announcing a merger that would take effect in July 2002, officials from the Tire Association of North America and the International Tire & Rubber Association asked members to adopt a new name that would reflect the new group's heritage and focus. They chose:
a. Tires-R-Us.
b. Worldwide Tire, Rubber, Retread and Assorted Sundries Association.
c. Tires-Can't Live Without `Em.
d. Tire Industry Association.
12. What company's filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection forced the shuttering of 63 Penske Auto Centers Inc. outlets?
a. Weight Watchers.
b. Kmart Corp.
c. Hooters.
d. United Airlines.
13. On April 6, Penske Auto Centers announced that it was:
a. Buying Kmart Corp.
b. Selling Goodyear tires at ``four for 40'' (cents).
c. Closing all its 562 locations nationwide and going out of business.
d. Giving owner Roger Penske heartburn.
14. After months of legal wrangling, charges and countercharges involving their retreading lawsuits, Bandag Inc. and Michelin North America Inc. decided to:
a. Settle their mutual antitrust lawsuits against each other.
b. Sell each other's retreads.
c. Let Michelin's Bib mascot participate in the Christmas parade in Bandag's hometown of Muscatine, Iowa.
d. Equip Bandag CEO Martin Carver's car with Michelin retreads.
15. Inking a deal to supply tires to company-owned Midas Inc. muffler shops, TBC Corp. said it expected to:
a. ``Midasize'' its tire sales through potentially 2,000 Midas franchise outlets nationwide.
b. Get free mufflers for life for all its top-level executives.
c. Help independent tire dealers become more competitive.
d. Also launch an experimental program to set up tire shops at Burger King outlets.
16. Capping eight years at the helm of Continental Tire North America as its CEO, Bernd Frangenberg announced his retirement at the company's dealer meeting by:
a. Singing Frank Sinatra's ``My Way'' in German.
b. Lifting a glass of champagne to salute dealers, while wearing sunglasses to ``hide my tears.''
c. Floating off in a hot-air balloon, saying he was ``bound for Oz.''
d. Saying he was opening up a tire store in Maui, Hawaii.
17. Grandma's Tires went to that great dealership in the sky when, in May:
a. Grandma said she was tired of tires.
b. Grandma was run over by a reindeer.
c. Dick Morrison Tire Co. decided to sell the outlets to a group of Big O Tires Inc. franchisees.
d. Grandma went to work as a greeter at a Wal-Mart store.
18. With a program aimed at ``strengthening'' dealers, Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.:
a. Began sending its dealers to boot camp.
b. Provided weightlifting equipment to dealerships.
c. Bankrolled a dealer excursion to Las Vegas, with guest appearances on ``CSI.''
d. Launched a series of business sessions called the Cooper Advanced Management Program (CAMP).
19. This managing partner of Group Michelin since 1955 retired in June:
a. Bibendum
b. Francois Michelin
c. Charles DeGaulle
d. Maurice Chevalier
20. Ross Kogel surprised the tire industry this month by announcing he's quitting his job as executive vice president of the Tire Industry Association so that he can:
a. Climb Mount Everest.
b. Become a tire buster.
c. Be lead singer for a rock band.
d. Spend more time with his family.
ANSWERS:
1-b; 2-b & c; 3-b; 4- c; 5- c; 6-a, c & d; 7- c; 8-b; 9-d; 10-b (and probably d); 11-d; 12-b; 13-c (and probably d); 14-a; 15-a; 16-b; 17-c; 18-d; 19-b; 20-d