LAS VEGAS — David Martin's term as president of the Tire Industry Association (TIA) officially began on Oct. 30 during the organization's annual membership meeting, hosted at the Paris Hotel & Casino.
The meeting was held a day before the start of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show, which runs Tuesday through Friday at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Mr. Martin, category director -- tools and supply at Huntersville, N.C.-based American Tire Distributors Holdings Inc. (ATD), succeeds Tom Formanek, who becomes past president.
In addition, members of the association passed a resolution, by a voice vote, urging rule makers and law makers to consider carefully the financial impact of changing the Fair Standards Act. The resolution said TIA membership also will opposes any rules or legislation that causes economic hardships on members.
The resolution urges the Department of Labor to adopt a moderate minimum wage increase, to a threshold of $35,000, to ensure than any increase is sustainable to small business. Any increase should be phased over five years, TIA urged.
TIA also welcomed six new board members. They are:
- Ernie Caramanico, president of the New York Tire Dealers Association for the last 18 years, is a pastpPresident of the Amityville (N.Y) Chamber of Commerce and former TIA board member.
- Daniel Childers, regional director, Mid-Atlantic Region for TCi L.L.C. Mr. Childers also has worked at the former National Tire Warehouse (NTW), the Sears Tire Group and TBC Corp.'s Tire Kingdom.
- Russell Devens, director of safety and risk management at McCarthy Tire Service Co., based in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., where he is responsible for training and security for more than 1,100 employees in 50 locations along the East Coast. Mr. Devens is a Level 400 commercial tire service instructor with TIA.
- Brad Feeney, director of commercial programs for TBC Corp. and oversees its off highway program. Over the last decade, Mr. Feeney has designed and launched several products, including the TerraRok A/T Radial tire.
- Mason Hess, area manager for Purcell Tire and Rubber Co., based in Potosi, Mo., has 20 years of experience in the tire industry. Mr. Hess has worked for several tire dealers, both big and small, as well as major tire manufacturers.
- Thomas Kirk Huls, president of TOKAH, Inc. d.b.a. Big O Tire. Mr. Huls has been in the tire and automotive industry for more than 45 years, serving on several boards including the Big O Tire Dealers Advisory Board.