Skip to main content
EVENT TRACKER
Keep track of rescheduled, canceled industry events with our COVID-affected event tracker - Powered by Snap Finance
Close
Sister Publication Links
  • Rubber & Plastics News
  • European Rubber Journal
tb-logo
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • OPINION
    • CORONAVIRUS
    • AUTO INDUSTRY
    • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
    • COMMERCIAL TIRE
    • FACTORY FIXES
    • GOVERNMENT & LAW
    • INTERNATIONAL
    • MOTOR SPORTS
    • NEW PRODUCTS
    • RETAIL TIRES
    • SERVICE ZONE
    • SEMA/AAPEX
    • SMALL BUSINESS
    • TIRE MAKERS
    • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • Titan to offer free COVID-19 vaccines at Iowa facility
      Bridgestone hosts vaccination events for plant employees
      Cioffi: Will remote working be the new normal?
      Bridgestone Iowa plant navigates pandemic, demand
    • Conti adding dynamic driving simulator at German R&D center
      Yokohama gains OE fitments on BMW, Mercedes-AMG sport utilities
      SEMA picks site in Michigan for 2nd SEMA Garage
      Online retailer CARiD.com looks to triple size of tire/wheel installer network
    • Video: Michelin looks to diversify for additional growth opportunities
      Michelin strikes supply deals with new Canadian racing series
      Yokohama gains OE fitments on BMW, Mercedes-AMG sport utilities
      Vipal Rubber retread guarantee program hits milestone
    • Love's adds 6 Speedco servicing sites to its Travel Stop network
      Bridgestone hosts vaccination events for plant employees
      Jinyu Tire starts truck tire production at Vietnam plant
      Vipal Rubber retread guarantee program hits milestone
    • New York chipping in $3M+ toward Sumitomo factory expansion
      SBA extends and expands COVID-19 loan program
      Stimulus spending should help tire industry
      U.S. agro-science firm gets $1M grant to research sunflower latex
    • Video: Michelin looks to diversify for additional growth opportunities
      Conti adding dynamic driving simulator at German R&D center
      Michelin strikes supply deals with new Canadian racing series
      Yokohama gains OE fitments on BMW, Mercedes-AMG sport utilities
    • Maxxis offers discount to ChampCar competitors
      Michelin strikes supply deals with new Canadian racing series
      Bias-ply tires return to NASCAR Cup Series for Bristol dirt race
      Hankook named race tire supplier for touring car series in Europe, Japan
    • Snap-On introduces TreadReader handheld tire scanner
      Vogue Tyre introduces ‘biggest, boldest' red stripe tire
      Cooper adds Rugged Trek all-terrain to Discoverer LT/SUV tire line
      Hankook unveils Vantra specialty trailer tires
    • Bauer Built promotes pair to VP positions
      TECH Americas adds Haggerty to marketing team
      Snap-On introduces TreadReader handheld tire scanner
      Discount Tire adopts mobile tread-depth scanning system
    • Snap-On introduces TreadReader handheld tire scanner
      Marked for winter: Origin of Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake
      Post-repair message adds personal touch
      Cioffi: Will remote working be the new normal?
    • SEMA picks site in Michigan for 2nd SEMA Garage
      SEMA touts expanded Las Vegas Convention Center ahead of 2021 expo
      TIA seeking nominations for Tire Industry Hall of Fame
      SEMA survey shows resilient auto aftermarket in 2020
    • SBA extends and expands COVID-19 loan program
      Stimulus spending should help tire industry
      Giti disputes report blasting tire maker for accepting PPP funds
      SEMA survey shows resilient auto aftermarket in 2020
    • Titan to offer free COVID-19 vaccines at Iowa facility
      Vogue Tyre introduces ‘biggest, boldest' red stripe tire
      Maxxis offers discount to ChampCar competitors
      Jinyu Tire starts truck tire production at Vietnam plant
    • Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      7 questions to ask consumers when they need tires for a crossover SUV
      Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      Stocking Tires for Crossover SUVs
      Sponsored By AppointmentPlus
      Three Important Lessons Learned for the Tire Business During a Pandemic
      Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      7 questions to ask consumers when they need tires for a crossover SUV
  • SHOP FLOOR
    • BALANCING
    • DEMOUNTING
    • SAFETY
    • TIRE REPAIR
    • TPMS
    • TRAINING
    • VEHICLE LIFTING
    • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Video: Balancing Tire
      An introduction to wheel balancing
      Wheel weights: Balancing form with function
      Choosing the right balancing equipment
    • Video: Demounting
      An introduction to demounting, mounting and inflation
      Staying safe when demounting and mounting tires
      Demounting Equipment
    • Video: Safety
      Introduction: Creating a culture of safety
      Protecting your people with proper hygiene
      Making friends with OSHA
    • Video: Tire Repair
      An introduction to tire repair
      How to properly patch a puncture
      Tire repair: Shining a light on visual inspections
    • Video: TPMS Service
      An introduction to TPMS service
      The importance of proper relearn procedures
      Decoding sensor data for TPMS diagnosis
    • Video: Training
      Intro: Finding and training technicians
      Shop Floor: Scholarships
      Advantages of apprentice program partnerships
    • Video:Vehicle Lifting
      An introduction to lifts and lift safety
      Recommendations for using a jack
      Jack stands for commercial tire service
    • Video: Wheel Torque
      Introduction to proper wheel installation
      Torque check and recheck recommendations
      Using torque sticks to speed service times
  • Multimedia
    • VIDEOS
    • PHOTOS
    • PODCASTS
  • Events
    • ASK THE EXPERT
    • LIVESTREAMS
    • WEBINARS
    • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
  • Data
    • DATA STORE
  • Resources
    • DIRECTORY
    • CLASSIFIEDS
  • ADVERTISE
  • DIGITAL EDITION
  • Awards
    • Tire Dealer Humanitarian Award
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
November 08, 2010 01:00 AM

Berra: TIA to focus on Capitol Hill, bolster training programs

Miles Moore
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    You could say Mike Berra Jr. has the tire business in his blood.

    Mr. Berra's grandfather, Michael A. Berra, founded Community Tire Inc. in St. Louis 75 years ago. The company split into two sister operations in 2006: Community Wholesale Tire, run by Mr. Berra's brother Phil, and Community Tire Retreading, which Mr. Berra heads and which supplies truck, light truck and off-the-road retreads to customers in 22 states.

    “In my mind we'll always be the same company,” Mr. Berra told Tire Business. “But for various reasons it made sense to split the two.”

    When you're a tire dealer, Mr. Berra said, you have good years and bad years. “From my grandfather, I learned that you celebrate the good times, but you're prudent enough not to spend everything before the bad times hit.”

    That lesson is something Mr. Berra said he will apply to the presidency of the Tire Industry Association (TIA), which he assumed during the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show Nov. 2-5 in Las Vegas.

    “At Community Tire, we used to sell seat covers, TVs, passenger retreads,” he said. “We remained a dynamic company, and we have changed as the markets have changed. And at TIA, we need to be a dynamic association. The programs that worked 10 years ago won't help our members today.”

    Berra's plans for TIA

    Two longtime programs Mr. Berra definitely wants to continue and strengthen are TIA's government relations efforts on Capitol Hill and its burgeoning training programs.

    “Probably we will expand our training efforts into an online university in 2011, or at least start laying the groundwork for it,” he said.

    Some of the government issues TIA will continue to support, he said, are: passage of the Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act; permanent repeal of the estate tax; and working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the ongoing effort to have TIA designated as the administrator for the consumer education portion of NHTSA's tire fuel efficiency final rule.

    “I feel very strongly that TIA offers the best opportunity for this program to be delivered comprehensibly to consumers,” he said. “No one else has our training expertise or our information services to effectively provide tire information to the end-user.”

    Mr. Berra praised Roy Littlefield, TIA executive vice president, and Paul Fiore, TIA director of government and business relations, for being “front and center” in leading the association's efforts on Capitol Hill. He also praised their discussions with the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) in an effort to ensure the tire industry will—in his words—”speak with one voice.”

    “It doesn't benefit anybody to have manufacturers on one side and dealers on the other,” he said. At this point, however, there are no meetings scheduled with the RMA, he said.

    TIA and TRIB

    Mr. Berra has been the president of the Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau (TRIB) since 2005. He had planned to step down when he became TIA president, but now says he will stay while TRIB's board of directors finds a permanent replacement for longtime Managing Director Harvey Brodsky, who was fired by the board Oct. 5 (see separate story on page 1).

    He declined to discuss recent events at TRIB, but did say he would like to see TRIB become more active on Capitol Hill, separate of TIA.

    “There are no separate agendas between TIA and TRIB, but the TRIB membership feels strongly that as an association TRIB needs to make sure that if we have an issue, we're where we need to be,” he said.

    TRIB trusts TIA, he added, but two associations might have a louder voice than one—particularly in the case of anything NHTSA might decide to do to regulate the retreading industry.

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Tire Business would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor Don Detore at [email protected].

    SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Newsletter Center

    Staying current is easy with Tire Business delivered straight to your inbox.

    SUBSCRIBE TODAY

    Subscribe to Tire Business

    SUBSCRIBE
    Connect with Us
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Tire Business is an award-winning publication dedicated to providing the latest news, data and insights into the tire and automotive service industries.

    tb-logo
    Reader Services
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Site Map
    • Industry Sites
    • Order Reprints
    • Customer Service: 877-320-1716
    Partner Sites
    • Rubber & Plastics News
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Automotive News
    • Plastics News
    • Plastics News China
    • Urethanes Technology
    RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    • Terms of Service
    • Media Guide
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Classified Rates
    • Digital Edition
    • Careers
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • OPINION
      • CORONAVIRUS
      • AUTO INDUSTRY
      • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
      • COMMERCIAL TIRE
      • FACTORY FIXES
      • GOVERNMENT & LAW
      • INTERNATIONAL
      • MOTOR SPORTS
      • NEW PRODUCTS
      • RETAIL TIRES
      • SERVICE ZONE
      • SEMA/AAPEX
      • SMALL BUSINESS
      • TIRE MAKERS
      • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • SHOP FLOOR
      • BALANCING
      • DEMOUNTING
      • SAFETY
      • TIRE REPAIR
      • TPMS
      • TRAINING
      • VEHICLE LIFTING
      • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Multimedia
      • VIDEOS
      • PHOTOS
      • PODCASTS
    • Events
      • ASK THE EXPERT
      • LIVESTREAMS
      • WEBINARS
      • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
    • Data
      • DATA STORE
    • Resources
      • DIRECTORY
      • CLASSIFIEDS
    • ADVERTISE
    • DIGITAL EDITION
    • Awards
      • Tire Dealer Humanitarian Award