AKRON—Kevin Kormondy, executive vice president and COO of Big O Tires L.L.C., and Ron Lautzenheiser, a Big O Tires and Grease Monkey franchisee from Colorado, will lead a Best Practices Panel of retail tire dealers at this year's International Tire Exhibition & Conference (ITEC) for tire dealers and auto service professionals.
“Dealers looking for ways to improve the bottom line and other ideas to help their dealerships won't want to miss this program, which will offer attendees the opportunity to hear from and ask questions of tire dealers who are finding success in today's marketplace,” said Ray Evans, educational chairman of the ITEC TireDealers/Auto Service show. “This should be a great session with lots of idea sharing.”
The Retail Tire Best Practices Panel is one of nine panel programs planned for the three-day educational conference and trade show, which is dedicated to the profitability of independent tire dealers and auto service professionals.
The show takes place Aug. 20-22 in Orlando, Fla., at the Caribe Royale All-Suite Hotel and Convention Center.
In addition to the panel presentations, ITEC offers 45 seminars and two roundtable discussions covering all areas of tire and automotive service businesses. These include three seminars on tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) and a presentation on China's role in the global tire industry.
Joining Messrs. Kormondy and Lautzenheiser on the Retail Tire Dealers Best Practices Panel are panelists: Mark Gillard, marketing and advertising manager, Sullivan Tire & Auto Service, Norwell, Mass.; Kelley O'Reilly, assistant professor of sales and business marketing, Western Michigan University; Dale Donovan, president of Donovan's Auto & Tire Center, Cincinnati; Mike Upton, president of Upton Tire Pros, Madison, Miss.; and John Adams, president and CEO of Grease Monkey.
ITEC also has scheduled three seminars on TPMS presented by industry experts. They include:
c “TPMS—New Technologies,” by Tony Davenport, aftermarket product director, Schrader Electronics Ltd.;
c “Avoiding the Make TPMS Inoperative Trap,” by Scot Holloway, CEO and general manager of Bartec USA L.L.C.; and
c “TPMS—The Proactive Approach,” by Tyson Boyer, sales manager of Dill Air Products.
A TPMS Roundtable discussion featuring the three presenters and moderated by Mr. Evans will take place following the TPMS seminars.
Tire dealers wanting to learn more about China in the tire industry can do so in the seminar, “The Importance of China in the Global Tire Industry.”
Presented by Walt Weller, vice president of China Manufacturers Alliance L.L.C., this session will discuss the importance of China as a supplier to the tire industry, primarily focusing on passenger, light truck, truck and OTR tires. Mr. Weller also will talk about the Chinese domestic market as well as the export markets for Chinese tires and provide some perspective on the role China plays in the global tire industry on a market-by-market basis.
To access the complete ITEC educational program and to register, visit itec-tireshow.com. The $65 registration fee includes all of the educational sessions, the trade show and a networking cocktail reception sponsored by Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. The website also contains housing information at the Caribe Royale Hotel.