November 04, 2009
Hail to the new TIA chief
Incoming President Wayne Croswell prepares for a busy 12-month term
By: Bob Ulrich
“With the steps we took late last year to reduce expenses and increase operating efficiencies, our operating budget ended last year in the black,” says Croswell.
What do Pepsi, women’s clothes and lumber have in common with Wayne Croswell? All three products were produced or marketed by companies looking for a business software provider in the late 1970s, and Croswell wrote the software for them.
“I started out as a programmer for Business Systems Research right out of college,” he says. “We were writing business software for anyone who wanted it.
“The advent of the minicomputer had people lining up for our services. Prior to that, companies ran on mainframes.”
Thirty-two years later, Croswell is president of ASA Tire Systems Inc. Although his beloved programming days are over — “They don’t let me do that anymore!” — he receives some satisfaction from envisioning new ASA technology and watching it become a reality.
Croswell begins his one-year term as president of the Tire Industry Association (TIA) this month. He has been a part of the tire industry for 20-plus years.
What are his plans for the more than 6,000 TIA members? What does he hope to accomplish?
“There are many things that I want to accomplish during my term,” he says. “They include a ‘go green’ initiative, technical and business training programs, increasing our presence in the social networking arena and consumer education.”
In our annual interview with the incoming TIA president, Modern Tire Dealer asked Croswell about not only his many goals, but also the goals of the association.
MTD: What legislative issues will you and TIA focus on over the next 12 months?
Croswell: We will still be focused on Right to Repair — the issue remains strong for our members, and the collapse of the auto dealer network brings up a whole host of related issues. It remains to be seen what will happen with health care reform, but this is still a huge concern for our membership.
MTD: Why should TIA run the government-mandated national tire maintenance consumer education program?
Croswell: I think we answered this succinctly in the comments issued to the Federal Government in our recent reply — the tire dealer has the very unique opportunity of interaction with the consumer at the time of purchase, and TIA has the track record of developing on-target training programs. I think working with NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) we can’t help but grow consumer understanding of the relevant tire knowledge.
(To read TIA’s comments in response to the proposed NHTSA Tire Fuel Efficiency Consumer Information Program, visit http://www.tireindustry.org/news.asp.)
Sign up for our Enews and receive the latest news, trends, and product information right in your e-mail inbox.