SRNA's Smallwood, recycling advocate Sikora named to TIA HOF

BOWIE, Md. — Two tire industry greats who have had a major impact on the industry have been named for induction in the Tire Industry Association (TIA) Tire Industry Hall of Fame.

Richard Smallwood, retired president and CEO of Sumitomo Rubber North America Inc. (SNRA), and Mary Sikora, a scrap tire recycling advocate and publisher and editor of Scrap Tire News, will be inducted into the TIA HOF in October.

The pair will be enshrined during the Tire Industry awards ceremony, to be held Oct. 30 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort & Casino. The event is a precursor to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show, which will be held Oct. 31 to Nov. 3 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The event is a complimentary ticketed event, but advanced a reservation is required. To register, click here.

The Hall of Fame Award honors individuals who have contributed greatly to the growth and development of the tire industry or have demonstrated high standards, ideals and leadership in the management of their businesses and in the tire community and have achieved goals and success that distinguish them from others.

TIA President Jim Pangle said the Smallwood and Sikora "have made tremendous contributions to our industry, and we look forward to recognizing them and hearing their stories this fall during the Tire Industry Honors ceremony."

Here's a look at each inductee:

Smallwood is known for his integrity, passion, value of people and as a visionary leader open to new ideas. He remains chairman of SRNA, is on the board of Sumitomo Rubber U.S.A. and is an advisor of Sumitomo Rubber Industries of Japan.

He regularly credited the company's workforce for its strong growth. Smallwood spent nearly 35 years in the tire industry, including 22 years at Falken Tire Corp.,later renamed SRNA.

He served as an executive officer at parent company, Sumitomo Rubber Industries, the first non-Japanese person promoted to that position. At Falken and SRNA, Smallwood focused on the company's UHP and sport light truck tire lineup, then expanded that to include ultra-high performance, passenger car, SUV, crossover, light truck and medium truck products.

He also led SRNA to gain its first original equipment fitments. Smallwood serves the broader tire industry as an eight-year current board member of the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) and has spoken at conferences across the world, including on the evolving autonomous vehicle industry. In addition, he represented the tire industry when he testified before the U.S. Commerce Department on the negative impact of tariffs against imported autos and auto parts, as imported steel was impacted at the time.

Before recycling and sustainability became common, Sikora recognized the need to manage the flow of scrap tires that were being landfilled or stockpiled in the U.S. She created a newsletter that began to emphasize the important contribution tire and rubber recycling can make for the economy and the environment by creating new businesses, jobs and products.

The newsletter grew to become today's monthly Scrap Tire News, a publication in the scrap tire and recycling industries and is a reference for various state and federal environmental governing bodies.

Sikora's passion for tire recycling led her to the then American Retreaders Association 25 years ago, as she encouraged leadership to add a tire recycling component to its annual trade show. Through her efforts, tire recycling businesses found a home where they could exhibit, and trade show attendees were able to view the latest methods to process scrap tires into useful products.

Seminars were added to the program, and she encouraged legislative attendees to assist the industry in finding solutions for capturing the raw materials designed into tires. Sikora was instrumental in the creation of the Tire and Rubber Recycling Advisory Council within the ARA and later assisted in developing TIA's Environmental Advisory Council.