LAS VEGAS — The gavel officially was passed Monday afternoon at the annual Tire Industry Association (TIA) membership meeting, held at the Caesars Palace on the eve of the Specialty Equipment Market Association Show (SEMA), which runs Nov. 5-8 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Brian Rigney, president of Dill Air Controls Products, began his term as president as tire industry veteran John Evankovich handed over the gavel, symbolic of the change in leadership.
"It's been a pleasure serving with you, and I look forward to serving the association over the next 12 months," Mr. Rigney told TIA members during the meeting. "I'm honored and humbled at the same time."
In addition, members of the association passed two resolutions by voice vote.
The first says TIA will support an infrastructure bill — the Trump administration has proposed a $2.5 trillion bill — yet would oppose "unreasonable and unfair proposals," including ones that:
- would reinstate the Federal Excise Tax (FET) on passenger tires;
- reinstate the FET on tread rubber used in retreading;
- raise FET on tread rubber;
- raise FET on truck and truck parts;
- raise the tax on motor fuel;
- privatize up to 47,000 miles of the interstate systems, resulting in new or higher tolls; and
- replace the last In First Out accounting system with the one-time hit of more than $107 billion going toward the infrastructure funding.
The resolution says TIA opposes current proposals that all funds would come from one only sector.
The second resolution addresses the work of a task force of TIA and United States Tire Association (USMAC) members working on a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) proposal to address an industry consensus registration regulation. As it stands, TIA said the fine for failure to register tires or a retailer mistake in registering tires if not addressed would set up at $22,329 per violation. TIA has proposed significant limits on those fines.
TIA's resolution asks that tire manufacturers and NHSTA rule makers consider the financial impact of potentially crippling fines. While recognizing the importance of a registration system, TIA said it is urging for a "fair and reasonable" industry proposal.
Mr. Rigney introduced four newly elected board members. Elected to a three-year term are;
- T. J. Trum, general counsel for Pomp's Tire Service Inc. in Kansas City, Kan., and chair of the American Commercial Tire Network Human Resources and Safety Committee;
- Russell Devens, director of safety and risk management for McCarthy Tire Service in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. He has more than 30 years of experience in safety, law enforcement, security, insurance and risk management; and
- Jim Pangle, consultant and current TIA board member. He became interested in cars and the automotive industry at a young age while taking a mechanical program offered through his school; and
- Debra Hamlin, another current board member, is the environmental, health, safety and sustainability director for the commercial division of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations.
Elected to a one-year term is:
- Dean Schwartz, owner of Lloyd's Tire & Auto Care, Santa Cruz, Calif., and has been part of the automotive industry since 1989. In 2001, he became owner of Lloyd's Tire & Auto Care and grew Lloyd's sales from $2 million to $10 million.
Outgoing TIA board members Dan Childers, Anthony Blackman and David Martin were recognized.
The TIA board represented include Roy Littlefield, TIA chief executive officer; incoming vice president Dan Nothdurft, Tires, Tires, Tires; incoming Secretary, Mason Hess of Purcell Tires; and Mike Wolfe, treasurer.