TIA publishes OTR Conference program, speakers

BOWIE, Md. — "America's Aging Infrastructure" as seen by head of an influential construction equipment dealers group will be among the key topics of discussion at the 2018 Tire Industry Association Off-the-Road Tire Conference, scheduled for Feb. 21-24 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Brian McGuire, president and CEO of Associated Equipment Dealers (AED), will present his group's views on the U.S. infrastructure during the conference's presentations on Friday the 23rd.

The AED is an international trade association representing companies involved in the distribution, rental and support of equipment used in construction, mining, forestry, power generation, agriculture and industrial applications.

The 63rd annual TIA OTR conference is being held at Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach.

Mr. McGuire will be joined during that session by Tom Shay of Profits Plus Solutions Inc., who'll speak on "Strategies to Win in a Challenging Economy," and Chris Rhodes, senior project manager, technology solutions for BKT Tires, who'll deliver the manufacturers' keynote.

Friday's session, which runs 8:30 a.m. to noon, will conclude with a motivational presentation by Vince Papale, a Philadelphia area high school teacher and football coach who earned a spot on the Philadelphia Eagles NFL team despite no college football experience.

He went on to play for the Eagles for three seasons and was voted special teams' captain by his teammates and was Eagles' "man of the Year" in 1978 for his numerous charitable activities. Walt Disney Studios made his story into the movie "Invicible," with Mark Wahlberg portraying Mr. Papale.

The rest of the conference schedule is as follows:

Feb. 21, 2 to 5 p.m. —

• "President Donald Trump: Year Two," a discussion led by TIA Executive Vice President Roy Littlefield.

• "OTR Tire Recycling: Industry Solutions and Innovations for a Sustainable Future," led by Debra Hamlin, environmental manager at Bridgestone Americas, and Dick Gust, TIA board member.

• "Certified Earthmover Tire Service" led by Kevin Rohlwing, TIA senior vice president of training; Matt White, TIA director of tire service; and Roy Galyer, manager operations Americas, Klinge Group.

Feb. 22, 8 to 11 a.m. —

• "Looking Forward to the Next 50 Years of OTR Retreading," led by Marvin Bozarth, TIA senior technical consultant;

• "U.S. OTR Industry Forecast," led by Mr. Rohlwing;

• "Wheel Re-Certification Programs – Making Sure Wheels are Certified for Safety," led by Hector Ramirez, vice president, mining operations, OTR Wheel Engineering; and

• A tire manufacturers' panel.

To download a registration form and receive more information, visit TIA's website.

For any questions or concerns please contact: LaKisha Pindell (housing or sponsorship) [email protected], or Cindy Edson (registration) [email protected].