Twenty-one employees from 14 commercial tire dealers gathered in June 2019 to share the latest safety methods and technology.
McCarthy Tire Service Co. Inc. and Snider Tire Inc., which goes to market as Snider Fleet Solutions, presented the first-ever Safety Leadership Summit, where service providers and vendors shared knowledge to help ensure the best new methods are available to the tire industry.
The idea for the summit was born when Tony Mullen, director of risk management for Snider Fleet Solutions, and Russell Devens, director of safety and risk management for McCarthy Tire Service, were introduced by their mutual risk consultant.
Mullen and Devens subsequently met to discuss mutual safety issues. At the end of that very successful first meeting, the two agreed that there was a need to expand the conversation with leaders across the tire industry. They also agreed that when it comes to safety, “There is no competition.”
Devens and Mullen organized a two-day seminar. Snider Fleet Solutions hosted the event at its training facility in Newton, North N.C., just north of Charlotte, in order to provide easy access to participants traveling in from around the country. They extended invitations to safety and risk managers in the country’s top commercial tire businesses.
“We expected a few people to accept invitations, but we were overwhelmed by the response. We had 21 attendees. They represented 14 of the top 25 independent commercial tire dealers in the United States,” Mullen and Devens said in a joint statement.
Several roundtable discussions on tire safety, workplace injuries, and fleet safety were supplemented by presentations from industry vendors.
Federated Mutual Insurance presented on insurance claims trends within the tire industry and on risk control techniques. Lytx presented on dash cameras for fleet safety and compliance; Truce Software gave a session on software control of mobile device distractions; and MVR Management discussed the Insurance Information Exchange (iiX).
Kevin Rohlwing, senior vice president of training for the Tire Industry Association (TIA), provided updates on safety training opportunities.
“The whole industry – and most importantly, everyone involved – benefits when we share the best ideas in safety,” said Marty Herndon, president/COO of Snider Fleet Solutions. “We’re always looking for ways to improve, and this conference was a great step forward.”
“In the tire industry, safety needs to be everyone’s number one goal,” said John McCarthy Jr., president of McCarthy Tire. “Our employees and customers work in challenging, and sometimes dangerous, environments. Everyone deserves to go home safe and sound. We are very pleased that Russ and Tony gathered together our industry’s safety leaders to share best practices and address areas of mutual concern.”
Leadership Safety Summit attendees were (in alphabetical order):
- Dave Bungum, Tredroc Tire Services Inc.
- Chad Cochrane, Tredroc Tire Services Inc.
- Matt Cresswell, Snider Fleet Solutions
- Russell Devens, McCarthy Tire Service
- J.J. Donovan, Valley Tire Co. Inc.
- Josephine Foley, Sullivan Tire Co.
- Bob Hickey, Bob Sumerel Tire Co.
- Brian Klaner, Raben Tire Co. LLC
- Geoff McGukin, McGriff Tire Co. Inc.
- Tony Mullen, Snider Fleet Solutions
- Robbie Mullins, Purcell Tire & Rubber Co.
- Matt Partain, McGriff Tire
- Frank Payne, Commercial Tire Inc.
- Mark Pennington, Redburn Tire Co.
- Norm Peterson, Best-One Tire Group
- David Petty, Snider Fleet Solutions
- Rich Philippon, Sullivan Tire Co. Inc.
- Mark Revell, Pomp’s Tire Service Inc.
- Brandy Sielaff, Commercial Tire Inc.
- Bob Theim, Pete’s Tire Barns Inc.
- T.J. Trum, Pomp’s Tire Service
Founded in 1926, McCarthy Tire Service is a family-owned and operated commercial tire dealer headquartered in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The company has more than 50 service locations and Bandag retread tire manufacturing plants along the east coast. McCarthy Tire is the sixth largest independent commercial tire dealer, the seventh largest retread tire manufacturer, and one of the top 25 retail tire dealers in the United States. It offers tire sales and service for commercial trucks, industrial equipment, off-the-road (OTR) vehicles, and passenger vehicles; commercial fleet services; truck mechanical services; 24-hour commercial roadside assistance; retread manufacturing; and automotive mechanical services and repairsTo learn more, visit www.McCarthyTire.com.
Snider Fleet Solutions is one of the largest commercial tire dealers and retreaders in the nation, recognized as an industry leader in providing innovative outsourcing alternatives for one-truck fleets to large, multi-location trucking fleets. It serves fleets with best-in-class maintenance, mechanical service, 24/7 emergency roadside assistance and nationwide onsite industrial tire and OTR service. Snider has been independently owned and operated since 1976. Today, it employs more than 1500 service professionals at over 80 locations throughout the South and Midwest. Additionally, it operates 9 strategically located retread facilities and 11 distribution centers that provide delivery capability to over 75% of the continental United States. To learn more, visit www.sniderfleet.com.
