ITEC tire manufacturing show kicks off Sept. 9

Crain News Service report

AKRON (Sept. 8, 2014) — Michael Hochschwender, president and CEO of Smithers Group, will kick off the International Tire Exhibition & Conference for Tire Manufacturing (ITEC) Sept. 9 morning with a keynote address.

Mr. Hochschwender's talk is titled “The New Reality of Innovation.” His address will be held in conjunction with the Tire Society, which is holding its annual meeting along with ITEC starting Sept. 8 at the John S. Knight Center. The manufacturers component of ITEC is organized by Rubber & Plastics News (RPN), a sister publication of Tire Business, and is being held Sept. 9-11 in Akron, the site where it originated in 1994. (The ITEC Tire Dealers/Auto Service show, sponsored by Tire Business, was held Aug. 20-22 in Orlando, Fla.)

ITEC's tire manufacturing show combines both a technical program touting more than 50 original papers — with as many as three technical sessions scheduled at a given time — and a nearly sold out expo floor featuring more than 100 exhibitors representing every area of the tire industry.

“Our return to no-nonsense Akron symbolizes ITEC's desire to stay true to our mission of servicing the innovation needs of tire manufacturers with cutting edge proposals that have early application potential,” said Harold Herzlich, ITEC conference chairman and technical editor of Rubber & Plastics News.

“The program includes the availability of a range of selected experts who can offer our delegates a rare opportunity to ethically discuss ways to improve the performance and profitability of their products or operations.”

ITEC was first held in Akron in 1994 and was held there every other year until 2010. For that year and 2012, ITEC was moved to Cleveland and expanded to include programs and exhibits of interest to independent tire dealers. This year, however, ITEC was split into two shows, with the one that focused strictly on tire manufacturing topics returning to Akron and the one for dealers in Orlando.

Mr. Herzlich said the technical papers in Akron represent the “intended eclectic nature” of the meeting. “The triple session schedule will require good planning and coordination if you want to capture opportunities in your immediate field as well as opportunities you can convey to others in your company,” he said.

Registration begins at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, with Mr. Hochschwender's talk set to begin at 8:30. Technical sessions begin at 9:30 a.m. and run until 4 p.m. In addition, a tire mechanics short course will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The short course will continue at the center for the remainder of the week.

A networking reception will be held from 4:30 to 6 p.m., at the Goodyear A & B and Upper Corbin Rotunda.

Hawk highlights Wednesday program

One of Wednesday's highlights will be a keynote address from James Hawk, chairman of Toyo Tire Holdings America Inc. and president of Toyo Tire North America, the unit's U.S. manufacturing plant in White, Ga. Mr. Hawk was RPN's 2013 Rubber Industry Executive of the year.

Technical sessions, held from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Wednesday include a forensic tire peer review, a bio elastomer challenge and a recycling workshop.

The evening will close with a banquet — available to registrants for an additional cost — to present Bernhard Bluemich of Aachen University in Germany with the Harold Herzlich Distinguished Technology Achievement Award.

The final day will include a half-day of technical presentations and a final chance to visit the expo.

The complete schedule is available by clicking here.

Admission to the expo is free. Registration for the conference is $350 for tire manufacturers and $600 for suppliers.

There is also a joint registration price for those interested in attending both ITEC and the Tire Society meeting.

For more information on ITEC, click here.

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This report appeared on rubbernews.com, the website of Rubber & Plastics News, an Akron-based sister publication of Tire Business.