SEMA Show, Day Four: 40 years for CIMS

Nov. 4, 2011

There was a lot to celebrate at the CIMS Inc. booth during the 2011 SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Show: a 40th anniversary; the creation of a certification program; an updated website; and the birthday of its president, Susan Kruder.

Anniversary

The late Paul Kruder, Susan’s husband, founded the company in Akron, Ohio, in 1971. He spent more than half a century in the tire industry and was instrumental in establishing the tire registration standards that are in place today.

(The company was started to help its clients comply with the record-keeping requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 and related federal regulations, specifically 49 CFR Parts 574.)

“Because tire registration is a federal law, we help our clients comply with the regulations, but also we give them a valuable sales tool that helps to punctuate to their customers their commitment to safety,” said Susan.

To celebrate the anniversary, CIMS held a drawing for an Apple iPad on the trade show floor. To enter, attendees had to stop by the CIMS booth any day Nov. 1-3.

The winner was Ellery Barrett of VIP Parts, Tires & Service in Lewiston, Maine.

Certification

The new Paul J. Kruder Seal of Certification program will acknowledge the nation’s companies that are in compliance with tire registration regulations. Companies will be evaluated beginning Dec. 1, 2011; the first recipients will be announced in the third quarter of 2012.

The company has commissioned Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio-based advertising firm Bark at the Moon to design the new seal.

“The program is designed to officially recognize those safety-focused companies that have tire buyers’ interests in mind as they lead the tire registration process,” she said.

“This recognition reflects Paul’s commitment to safety and the recall process in the tire industry. He also was so proud of the company and the progress it had made.”

Redesigned website

“We are updating our website to include an area for consumers as well as clients to educate them in the tire registration process,” said Kruder.

“The new website is simple and to-the-point, and very user-friendly. It will give all of our customers an easier forum in which to implement CIMS’ tire registration services. Tire dealers can sign up for CIMS E-tire Registration online, order CIMS All Brand Tire Registration Forms or learn more about our Point-of-Sale Electronic Registration.”

The website was designed by Website Design and Development, Ltd of Wadsworth, Ohio.

For additional information on CIMS and the tire registration process, visit www.cimstireregistration.com.