PHOENIX — Just before 8 a.m. on a pleasant, mid-October day in Arizona, Mason Hess got hit with what he calls the "Friday Curse."
His computer "blue-screened" him (his words), then a "Clear-EventLog" message popped up.
"I'm wondering if my IT department is just going to tell me to put it in a box and send it back to them," Mr. Hess, the area manager for Purcell Tire & Service Center in Phoenix, said.
It was one of the bad parts of technology.
Mr. Hess is much more interested in the good parts, something that he'll emphasize over the next year as he succeeds Dan Nothdurft as president of the Tire Industry Association (TIA).
"I'm kind of a nerd when it comes to that (tech) stuff," he said, chuckling. "Some people are scared of technology and some of the older guys in the industry would rather change tires and run impact guns than type on a computer, but there's that combination of the older generation that accepts it and excels at it."
Ready or not, technology is advancing in every industry — and TIA will continue to upgrade and improve its digital footprint, Mr. Hess said.
"We've learned the Zoom world (over the past two years) and learned how those products can add to our tool belt," he said. "We're going to work on the technology side of things — apps, microlearning, short videos — and I've been talking with Kevin (Rohlwing, TIA senior vice president of training) a lot about that. We've got some really good things we're implementing for tire techs on a more regular basis and we're going to continue that."
Part of the tech push is because the pandemic has made in-person training and in-person events more difficult, but also partly because the younger generation of workers demands it, he said.
"The tire industry is struggling to get more young people into our industry," Mr. Hess said. "We have an older generation of very skilled techs and tire people and they're kind of going extinct.
"The youth are used to iPhones and YouTube and websites. They're not used to data books and older-school things. If we're going to retain and keep people in the tire industry, we've got to support our youth."
Other issues of note Mr. Hess addressed in a recent phone interview include:
On governmental regulation
Mr. Hess said TIA is keeping a close eye on California's rolling- resistance mandates, which require replacement tires sold in the state to be at least as energy efficient as original equipment tires. TIA also will continue working on tire aging and tire registration issues.
On COVID-19's lingering effects
"That's the tough part," he said. "We don't know what to anticipate because it's changed so much on us. SEMA is a good example. A year ago, we were convinced we were working on our 100-year anniversary celebration. Luckily, we're all moving forward in a great direction on that, but it seems to be changing continually."
On digital training programs
"I believe in-person training is the best, especially for new technicians, but I think there's a great market out there for refreshers and continual learning in the digital learning (sphere)," he said. "We jumped on that very quickly in our training department and, going into 2022, we'll continue to work on remote product training."
On assuming the presidency
"One of the guys I work with always quotes Isaac Newton when he says we're standing on the shoulders of giants," he said. "I think as we transition to a new president, Dan (Nothdurft) did a great job and obviously the guys before him did as well. We get to ride on his coattails and that's definitely the part that helps us all. We have people around to support us. We don't have to drive the whole bus ourselves."
On becoming so involved with TIA
"I always did the training, but I didn't understand what was behind it," he said. "When I got on the board, I got a taste and it was delightful. You get to be around professionals who are going through the same challenges and who are in the trenches and trying to put out the same fires.
"When I came in, I didn't have the intent of joining the executive board or becoming president, but it was such a delight to be around them and talk professionally about those topics. As I got involved and got to know them a little bit, I got addicted, I guess would be the way to say it."
