NATRE adds seminar, panel to growing program

NEW ORLEANS (Feb. 24, 2017) — John Zentz, vice president of sales for Hunter Engineering Co., will deliver a seminar on the "The Tire Store of the Future; How to Win the Tire Replacement Business" during the North American Tire and Retread Expo (NATRE), April 19-21, in New Orleans.

Also new to the educational program is a panel on safety in retail and commercial tire dealerships and in tire warehouses.

Panel participants include:

• Randy Haas, safety director for T.O. Haas Tire, based in Lincoln, Neb., which operates 25 retail tire and automotive service facilities in Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa, and

• Tom Hermann, assistant director of continuous improvement for Dunn Tire L.L.C in Buffalo, N.Y., which operates 30 retail tire locations in New York and Western Pennsylvania, as well as a large wholesale business.

A third panelist is expected to be named shortly.

These sessions bring to 17 seminars and panels scheduled for the educational program at the three-day tire conference and trade show, which is focused on helping retail and commercial tire dealers and retreaders succeed in a fast-changing, increasingly competitive business environment.

The conference and trade show will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Show dates are Wednesday through Friday to allow visitors to enjoy New Orleans over the weekend, if they wish, organizers said.

With tire dealers facing growing competition from car dealers, mass merchandisers and large national chains, Mr. Zentz's seminar will discuss how best practices and new shop designs are an integral part of a strategy to win in the tire replacement business and assure long-term success.

Joseph Saoud, president of North American truck, bus and retread business for Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations is keynoting this year's conference.

Mr. Saoud plans to speak on "Reinvigorating the Sustainable Business Model," which will cover the changing and evolving tire market and "how educating audiences on the business case for retreads can keep drivers safe, protect customer cargo, maximize investments and help reduce the industry's long-term impact on the environment."

NATRE is free to attend and open to all retail and commercial tire dealers, retreaders, independent automotive repair shops and others allied to the industry.

To learn more and to register, visit www.usatireexpo.com. For exhibitor/sponsorship information, contact Christine Zernick at [email protected]; telephone (330) 865-6108.