CREWE, England — Marvin Bozarth, retired executive director of the former International Tire & Rubber Association (ITRA), has been recognized with a lifetime achievement award in retreading by Valebridge Media Services, publisher of Retreading Business and Tyre & Rubber Recycling.
Bozarth's honor is part of Valebridge Media's Recircle Awards program, now in its second year.
Bozarth was recognized for a lifetime of significant contribution to the tire retreading industry over the course of his career, according to David Wilson, managing director of Valebridge Media and editor/publisher of the two journals.
Wilson described Bozarth as a "legend in the North American retreading industry, a larger-than-life figure who contributed hugely to the retreading industry during his career."
Bozarth's industry career spans over 60 years, in 1958 as plant manager of the Missouri Farmers Association Oil Co., a position he held for seven years. His focus on retreading grew in 1965 when he became general manager for Community Tire Co. in St. Louis.
He moved to Purcell Tire & Rubber Co. in 1970 and rose to become vice president of manufacturing before being hired in 1989 to head up ITRA, a successor organization of the American Retreaders' Association and predecessor organization of the Tire Industry Association (TIA), where he later became executive director.
Bozarth left ITRA at the end of 2001 and remained with TIA as a senior technical consultant until 2018. He founded Bozarth Industry Consultants L.L.C. in 2000 and continues as that entity's owner.
"Marvin's contributions to the retreading industry around the world is not in doubt," Wilson said. "A larger-than-life figure, he fills a room wherever he is, and this award is richly deserved."
Bozarth and other winners of Recircle Awards were announced April 25 during a virtual awards ceremony. Recipients will receive their awards either May 24 during The Tire Cologne exhibition in Cologne, Germany, or May 26 at the Autopromotec exhibition in Bologna, Italy.
