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Featured Story from the November/December 2003 Today's Tire Industry
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TIA President Larry Morgan Takes the Wheel

Each year in Las Vegas at the International Tire Expo (ITE)/SEMA Show, another member of the Tire Industry Association (TIA) Board assumes the role of President. Without getting into the detailed mechanics of the election process, the TIA President is ultimately selected by his or her peers on the Board of Directors. To some, it's the culmination of years of service and dedication to the industry. To others, it almost happens by accident. Larry Morgan definitely fits into the second of those two categories.

When Board members Don Olson, Tom Wright and Pam Gatto asked Larry to run for the Board as a representative for larger retail tire dealers, he planned to serve his term, if he was elected, and then move on with his life. He was confident his experience would add to TIA, so it should have been easy to just attend the meetings and offer an opinion now and then. But as Larry learned more about the numerous benefits TIA had to offer the industry, he became immersed in all that the Association stood for. Once he got involved in the government relations, business management, consumer advocacy and training programs, there was no holding him back.

It's a similar story that started with his graduation from college after receiving a business degree. The burden of paying 100 percent of his expenses prevented him from attending law school, so a campus interview led him to Firestone, even though he "didn't know the hood from the trunk about cars"; at the time. His first District Manager at Firestone, Paul Dykstra, had a legendary "tough as nails"; style, but he always kept his word regarding promotions and other advancement opportunities. Larry often talks about the "fire in your belly"; that drives people to succeed. Paul definitely stoked the "fire"; which led him to his current position as Chairman Emeritus for the 600-store retail tire dealership Tires Plus. When looking for inspiration in the tire industry, Larry goes straight back to his roots.

For inspiration in life, he follows a similar path and turns to his parents, especially his mother. Rising from very humble beginnings, she was a pioneer woman who graduated college in 1928 and then taught school in a one-room schoolhouse. She had to ride a horse 14-miles-a-day in the bitter cold of northeast Missouri and only got paid whenever the county was able to collect taxes during the Great Depression. Larry attributes his work ethic, fiscal responsibility and many other positive characteristics to his mother. His father preached personal pride and the will to win at whatever he attempted.

Larry has passed the drive to succeed to his 24-year-old twin children. One of his proudest personal moments was watching his daughter, Lauren, deliver the commencement address to 21,000 people at her graduation from William & Mary. He will always cherish the moment he witnessed her sharing the stage with Henry Kissinger, Margaret Thatcher and Madeline Albright. Larry is equally proud of his son Brett for turning his attention to academics by posting a 3.55 GPA during his last year and a half at the University of Richmond after struggling academically for his first few semesters.

Larry's key to success has been a passion for finding quality people. He attributes much of the growth of his company to the people who initially bought into his concept of being fanatical about getting the best employees. In fact, one of his biggest thrills is watching someone develop and increase their earning power within the organization. It can be summarized in his "golden rule"; for tire dealers, "Treat your employees and customers the way you would want to be treated.";

As TIA President, Larry will work with the staff and other elected volunteers on the Board of Directors to guide the Association through the next 12 months. The responsibilities that accompany the position create a tremendous time burden with numerous conference calls and state tire dealer conventions to attend. But like the many dedicated volunteers who served as President before him, Larry willingly accepts the job with full knowledge of the commitment it requires. In fact, his passion for the Association runs so deep that he's willing to personally speak with any tire dealer, manufacturer or supplier that's interested in becoming involved.

Part of Larry's success as a businessman can be attributed to his ability to motivate people with his enthusiasm for the industry. He will, undoubtedly, spend a considerable amount of time speaking with various groups and organizations to encourage them to join TIA and make an already impressive member benefit package even better. A strong national association can pay dividends for every business related to the tire industry, but it takes the resources that come with membership to provide a full menu of programs.

Tires Plus was the "fastest growing tire company in America"; when Larry owned the company. He plans to incorporate many of the same principles that led to his achievements in the business world into his agenda for the coming year. As always, TIA's Strategic Plan provides him with a blueprint for the future and ensures some consistency from year-to-year. Since the primary goals for TIA are established, Larry can focus more attention on carrying out new initiatives that add value to member businesses.

In many ways, the position of TIA President reflects every segment of the industry. The people skills that Larry has developed throughout his professional career will definitely serve him well as he represents the interests of tire dealers, retreaders, suppliers and manufacturers. As the third President since the 2002 merger to form TIA, Larry Morgan has the "fire in his belly"; and the will to succeed. With the help of his colleagues on the Board of Directors and a dedicated staff, he will provide steady leadership and continue the pattern of growth established by those before him.

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