BOWIE, Md. – Showgoers will have the opportunity to attend 10 general educational sessions, a manufacturer’s keynote and three breakout sessions during the Tire Industry Association’s (TIA) 2023 Off-the-Road Tire Conference.
The highly regarded event, which typically attracts attendees from 40 U.S. states and 12 countries, takes place Feb. 22-25, 2023, at the Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort in Tucson, Ariz.
The room-block for the conference closes Jan. 13. To download a conference registration form and for more information, visit www.tireindustry.org, click on events and Off-the-Road Tire Conference.
The educational portion of the conference will focus on training, industry economic forecasts, professional development and government affairs. In addition, there will be a live video OTR Tire Service demo presentation.
“We look forward to gathering the global off-the-road tire community for the 68th annual OTR Tire Conference in Tucson,” said TIA CEO Richard “Dick” Gust. “This year’s event looks to be outstanding with strong pre-show registrations and sponsorship support, interesting educational sessions and an expansive tabletop exhibition.”
The full schedule is as follows:
Wednesday, Feb. 22
- “Legislative Issues Impacting the OTR Tire Industry,” presented by Roy Littlefield IV, TIA vice president of government affairs;
- “Global Commitment to Sustainability,” presented by Ana M. Arce, senior manager corporate sustainability governance, stakeholder engagement and business development, Bridgestone Americas Inc.;
- “OTR Tire Service Live Demo,” presented by Jeff Faubion, TIA/MSHA compliance specialist, Bridgestone Americas; Roy Galyer, training manager, Klinge Holdings Pty. Ltd.; Kevin Rohlwing, chief technical officer, TIA; Matt White, director of tire service, TIA; and
- “Earthmover Tire Service Training,” presented by Faubion, Galyer and Rohlwing.
Thursday, Feb. 23
- “U.S. Economic Forecast,” presented by TIA’s Rohlwing;
- “Canadian Economic Forecast,” presented by Carol Hochu, president and CEO, Tire and Rubber Association of Canada (TRAC);
- “Manufacturers Panel,” panelists Chris Rhodes, vice president OTDC, BKT USA Inc.; Matt Futrelle, head of business field earthmoving, head of sales and marketing Americas, commercial specialty tires, business area specialty tires, Continental Tire the Americas L.L.C.; Eric Matson, global field engineering manager, off-the-road tires, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.; and Bruce Besancon, vice president marketing, Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America Inc. Moderator: Greg Smith, publisher, Modern Tire Dealer.
Friday, Feb. 24
- “How to Achieve the Impossible,” presented by Billy Riggs, trainer, motivator, professional speaker;
- “The Unstoppable You,” presented by Alex Weber, award-winning leader and international speaker;
- “Electric and Automated Technologies: The Quiet Revolution,” presented by Doug Kershaw, president BKT USA Inc. and BKT Tires Inc.; and
- “Turn Change into Opportunity,” presented by Roger Crawford, hall of fame speaker, best-selling author.
Break-Out Sessions:
- “Innovative Technology Using High Pressure Water Jet for OTR Recycling,” presented by Tommaso Verri, CEO, Rubber Jet Valley;
- “An Inspiring Success Story from Mesopotamia to Florida,” presented by Fatih Sedele, CEO, and Burak Yolga, country manager, Las Zirh Zincir San. Tic. A.S.; and
- “Advancements in Robotics to Increase your Plants, Productivity, Profitability and Employee Retention,” presented by Daniel Zeledon, president, Tesco-Italmatic L.L.C.
The OTR Tire Conference is the premier gathering for professionals in the global earthmover tire, retreading and service industries. In addition to the educational sessions, the conference includes multiple networking and business meeting opportunities, tabletop exhibits and a leisure program that includes a golf outing, a sporting clay tournament and a crystal scrub journey.
For additional questions, contact LaKisha Pindell at lpindell@tireindustry.org.
Conference registration is required prior to reserving a room, with no exceptions. A special reservation link will be provided once registration is received and payment is processed.