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RTA NEWS YOU CAN USE
March 21, 1014

TOP SHOP TOTAL BUSINESS GROUP LAUNCHED

AKRON, Ohio & INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (March 20, 2014) - Tire Review magazine and Strategic Alliance Group (SAG) today announced a partnership to develop and produce Top Shop Total Business Groups, a premium-level peer-to-peer support and education program for U.S. and Canadian independent tire dealers.

Prospective Top Shop Total Business Group members will be specifically invited to join. Seats for each Total Business Group will be set based on geography and demographics, so that participating dealers are not in competition with each other. This will allow participants to share ideas, concepts, best practices and, most importantly, business information that will allow the creation of meaningful financial benchmarking data.

"The Top Shop Total Business Group concept is quite similar to the 20 Group programs that currently exist, only in a 'super-charged' form," said Stu Zurcher, founder of the tire industry's 20 Group concept and president of SAG. "The focus of this new program will be to assist highly successful tire dealers continue to improve their operations and fuel future growth by applying many of the traditional 20 Group peer education and support techniques to a menu of additional educational and data-driven offerings."

"The Top Shop Award program is well-respected throughout the North American tire industry," said Jim Smith, editor of Tire Review, "and is rooted in enhancing dealer knowledge and profitability by raising the bar and uncovering what highly successful dealers are doing. The Top Shop Total Business Group program a natural extension of that."

In the coming months, the Top Shop Total Business Group will begin extending invitations to targeted dealers and developing set groups based on geography and business profile. "Obviously we want to fill seats as rapidly as we can, but extra care will be taken to avoid competitive and confidentiality issues and make sure members will work together," said Zurcher.

The first regular meeting of a finalized Group is expected to take place by the fourth quarter of 2014.

"This very much will be a member-driven program," said Smith, "and we will bring a number of premium elements to the table to benefit members. This is an exciting opportunity for top tire dealers to grow even stronger. The key is having the industry's best 20 Group facilitator leading the effort, and that's SAG."

Founded in 2011, Strategic Alliance Group facilitates numerous SAG-founded and private brand 20 Groups for retail and commercial tire dealers. It has built a strong infrastructure and a group of experts to support those groups.

Those dealers interested in being considered are advised to contact SAG at 877-875-1695, or email info@sagtwentygroup.com, or see www.sagtwentygroup.com/index.php/contact-us

For More Information, contact:

Jim Smith
Tire Review
330-670-1234 x298
jsmith@babcox.com

Stu Zurcher
Strategic Alliance Group
877-875-1695
stu@sagtwentygroup.com

(Both Tire Review and Strategic Alliance Group are members of the Retread Tire Association and we wish them well with their new venture!)

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

"Talent is cheaper than table salt.
What separates the talented individual
from the successful one
is a lot of hard work."

~ Stephen King