SEMA News—November 2018

PEOPLE

A Message From Roy Littlefield

TIA Executive Vice President

On behalf of the Tire Industry Association (TIA), welcome to the 2019 Global Tire Expo (GTE)—Powered by TIA, in the exciting city of Las Vegas. GTE is the section of the SEMA Show devoted to tires and wheels. As you surely know because you are here, the SEMA Show is the place to be if you love cars, enjoy working on them and like giving them a different personality. The SEMA Show is an automotive feast for those with a passion for restyling their vehicles.

You may not have thought about it this way, but for all the exciting ways you can modify a vehicle and enhance its performance, the one component all vehicles must have is tires. No matter how unique your vehicle is, it will not perform to its capability unless it is fitted with the proper pneumatic tires.

The right tires take the technology and sophisticated mechanics found in today’s vehicles and make them all work—allowing the vehicle to stay adhered to the road when cornering and accelerating, to stop gradually or rapidly as the brakes are applied, and to perform effectively on whatever surface they are riding, whether that be snow and ice, mud, gravel, wet or blazing-hot pavement. Tires do all that modestly, day in and day out, with little fanfare or appreciation. They are, in my opinion, the unspoken heroes of the motorcar.

That’s what GTE at the SEMA Show is all about. It’s about the latest and greatest in tires. It’s about new technology and equipment. It’s about better ways of selling and servicing tires. It’s about learning new ideas and sharing best business practices with others in the same profession as you.

You can experience that and more at the tire company and tire-related supplier booths at GTE in the SEMA Show’s South Hall. I encourage you to visit the exhibitors in the GTE section and listen as company employees show off their newest products and talk about how they can improve performance, enhance sales and impact tire shop efficiency.

Beyond the new products and technology displayed at GTE and the SEMA Show, there’s also the important aspect of professionalism and training. TIA is a leader in tire safety and has raised the bar on tire-service professionalism over the years with its respected certified training programs that have trained tens of thousands of tire-servicing professionals and counting.

GTE attendees can get a taste of what TIA offers in terms of training and education by attending the eight timely educational sessions the association has planned for this year’s Show. Topics include how to assure proper tire and wheel retention, the pros and cons of heavy truck tire-changing machines, the future impact of hybrid and electric vehicles on the tire business and tire dealers, tire-pressure monitoring system sensor reprogramming and successful tire dealers sharing their secrets.

In addition to training and education, TIA plays an important role in legislation and government advocacy on issues impacting tire dealers and the tire industry. To learn more, I invite you to join me for TIA’s 2019 Legislative Review session, scheduled for Wednesday, November 6, from 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m. in Room S106–S107 in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Every year, there’s more to see and do at GTE and the SEMA Show. Whether you are a tire dealer, a tire manufacturer, a tire supplier or an auto enthusiast, I encourage you to find a few minutes during the busy week to stop by TIA booth #40066–40067 in the South Hall to meet our team and learn more about what TIA has to offer. See you at the Show!

Sincerely,

Roy Littlefield

CEO

Tire Industry Association