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RTA NEWS YOU CAN USE
July 30, 2014

Thinking about attending the ITEC Tire Dealers/Auto Service conference and trade show
in August? Then you should read this!

 
I am getting excited about this year’s ITEC Tire Dealers/Auto Service conference and trade show, and not just because the event takes place in less than a month in Orlando, Fla. It’s because the program keeps getting better and better.
 
Let’s start with Matt Winslow, director of speakers and content for the highly respected Automotive Training Institute (ATI). He will deliver the keynote address at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20. The title, “How to Survive & Thrive in the Tire Business,” is a perfect subject to kick off the conference and complements the theme of the show, which is “Improving Profitability in a Challenging Environment.”
   
With tire dealers facing shrinking tire margins and increased competition, Mr. Winslow will discuss what it will take to survive and grow in the tire business over the next 10 years, including how to create a competitive advantage to keep shop bays full and profits rolling in. A colleague who has heard him speak on this subject gives it two thumbs up. Mr. Winslow also will address another hot topic, “Effective Succession Planning for a Secure Retirement,” in a separate seminar.
 
Earlier this year, I spoke on panels at the New Jersey State Tire Dealers Association and the New York Tire Dealers Association meetings. An important and recurring question had to do with the lack of taxation on online sales, especially online tire sales, which many dealers believe puts them at a huge price disadvantage.
 
Discussing this topic at ITEC will be Gordon Gough, president and CEO of the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants and former executive director of the Ohio Tire and Automotive Association. He will dig into this issue in a seminar titled “Marketplace Fairness.” Joining Mr. Gough on the program will be John Marshall from Grismer Tire and David Froling, a partner at Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease specializing in tax issues.
 
It hasn’t happened yet, but one of these days the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is going to give the final go ahead for a new tire labeling program. Former NHTSA Safety Compliance Engineer George Gillespie and Bruce Lambillotte, general manager Akron Laboratories and senior project manager technical consulting for Smithers Rapra (North America), will talk about the new tire labeling program as part of their seminar on compliance and regulations affecting tires.
 
These are just a few of the new additions to an outstanding educational program geared to immediately impact your business. If you haven’t already done so, check out the program for yourself at www.itec-tireshow.com.
 
The conference takes place August 20-22 at the Caribe Royale All-Suite Hotel and Conference Center in Orlando. This is a new location for the show offering a much more intimate atmosphere for interaction with speakers, peers, on the trade show floor and through networking.
 
The cost is $65 for all three days of 45 seminars, nine panel presentations and two roundtable sessions. There’s also a trade show featuring tire and automotive industry exhibitors and plenty of time for visiting with fellow independent tire dealers and automotive service personnel.
 
I hope to see you at ITEC Tire Dealers/Auto Service. We’ve made a lot of changes to this year’s show. It’s going to be great show, a fantastic learning opportunity and lots of fun.
 
David Zielasko
Editor and VP/Publisher
ITEC Tire Dealers/Auto Service
Tire Business