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USA
Littlefield and Barry Elected to Tire Industry Hall of Fame
Kal Tire to Purchase
GCR Stores and Retread Locations in Eastern Canada
The Tire Industry Association’s (TIA) Hall of Fame Committee has selected two new inductees for the Tire Industry Hall of Fame: TIA CEO Roy Littlefield III and the late Martin J. Barry, a former president of the National Tire Dealers Association, who will enter in the historic category.
The committee also named Monte Niemi, CEO of First State Tire Recycling, Isanti, Minn., as the winner of the 2021 Ed Wagner Leadership Award and selected
companies that demonstrate leadership or innovation in products and services that foster and promote the tyre, retreading and/or tyre recycling industries. TIA’s Friend of the Industry Award recognises well-known individuals who are allies and proven supporters of the tyre industry. “We are pleased to honour these exceptional individuals entering the Tire Industry Hall of Fame and receiving the Ed Wagner Leadership and Friend of the
Martin Barry
Roy Littlefield
Miles Moore
Monte Niemi
Miles D. Moore, retired senior Washington reporter for trade publications Rubber & Plastics News and Tire Business, as the recipient of the Friend of the Industry Award.
The Hall of Fame Award recognises individuals who have contributed greatly to the growth and development of the tyre industry or have demonstrated high standards, ideals and leadership in the management of their businesses and in the tyre community and have achieved goals and success that distinguish them from others.
The Ed Wagner Leadership Award is presented to individuals or
Industry awards,” said Mason Hess, incoming TIA president. “On behalf of the Association, we extend our congratulations and are honoured to recognise these amazing individuals who have proven themselves as key industry influencers.”
TIA will recognise the honourees at the Tire Industry Honors Awards Luncheon on Monday, Nov. 1, 2021, from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas hotel & casino, prior to the start of the Global Tire Expo/SEMA Show Nov. 2-5 in Las Vegas. This is a complimentary ticketed event, but advanced RSVP is required.
Kal Tire and Bridgestone Canada have reached an agreement for Kal Tire to purchase 15 full-service GCR Tires & Service (GCR) stores, two retread plants and one OTR tyre repair shop from Bridgestone. The purchase of these locations will allow Kal Tire to serve more consumer, commercial and mining customers in the Canadian markets where it currently operates, as well as expand its footprint to include locations in eastern Canada.
The GCR stores and retread plants in question are located in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario. These locations currently serve consumer customers, along with the commercial trucking, OTR, agriculture and mining industries. All 125 GCR employees are expected to join Kal Tire upon completion of the transaction, which is scheduled to close in Q4 2021.
“At Kal Tire, we are driven to provide customers with best-in- class tyres and service. To achieve this, we need to continue to strengthen our network of locations that are staffed by experts
in the tyre and service industry,” said Robert Foord, president, Kal Tire. “The purchase of these GCR locations allows us to expand our footprint across Canada, while also bringing more knowledge and expertise to our team.”
“This sale is a positive step for GCR employees and customers who have a bright future ahead as part of the Kal Tire organisation,” added Scott Damon, chief operating officer, Bridgestone Americas. “As Bridgestone and Kal Tire evolve for the future, this transaction will enable strategic growth for both companies. We look forward to building on our longstanding partnership with Kal Tire to drive additional growth in Canada for Bridgestone’s products, brands and mobility solutions.”
As a leading provider of commercial tyres and service, Bridgestone Americas will continue to operate 59 GCR stores and 13 GCR retread plants in the Western United States.
The GCR stores included in the sale will conduct business separately from Kal Tire until the transaction closes.
48 Retreading Business
TIA Joins Fight to
Stop Human Trafficking
The Tire Industry Association (TIA) has joined in the fight against the global issue of human trafficking by partnering with Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT).
TAT is a nonprofit organisation that trains professional truck drivers and others, including tyre dealers, on best practices in recognising and
reporting the red flags of human trafficking.
Human trafficking is a $150 billion criminal activity that has impacted more than 40 million victims globally. In the U.S., trafficking occurs in all 50 states, with people of all ages affected, including thousands of children who are at