The Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau (TRIB) will increase its focus on its U.S. members in 2016, David Stevens, managing director, told members at the group’s annual meeting on Nov. 2, 2015, in Las Vegas.
“A huge portion of what we do is responding to member needs. We are a resource for members, the public and the government to help them understand retreading,” says Stevens.
TRIB supported its members through several initiatives in 2015. These included partnering with the Tire Industry Association (TIA) to hold a Federal Lobby Day. TRIB and TIA members discussed legislative issues affecting the industry with members of Congress at the February 2015 event.
TRIB and TIA are also co-hosting the first Global Retread Symposium at the 2015 Global Tire Expo in Las Vegas on Nov 4. The symposium brings retread industry leaders and professionals from around the world together to discuss retread issues that cross international boundaries and impact the industry as a whole.
TRIB is also winding up a 21-day retread road trip across the United States to promote the economic and environmental benefits of retreading. Sponsored by the American Commercial Tire Network (ACTN), the road trip began in Elizabeth, N.J., on Oct. 19. It will end in Fontana, Calif., on Nov. 9.
Stevens told members the number of unique visitors to TRIB’s website increased 46% in the last 12 months. The association’s video, “The True Causes of Rubber on the Roads" received 200,000 views on TRIB’s YouTube channel. There were an additional 2,000 views on TRIB’s website.
“The True Causes of Rubber on the Roads” and “The Environmental Benefits of Retreading” will be translated into the Spanish and Portuguese languages. The project will be sponsored by Vipal Rubber Corp.
Next year’s plans also include updating the “Retread Plant Tour” video. Outside of the U.S., TRIB is working with an Asian business media group to develop a retread conference for the Asian market, which is scheduled for October 2016.
For more information on TRIB, visit www.retread.org.
