Anne S. Evans, James P. Melvin Sr. and the late Timothy F. Haley are the newest members of the New England Tire and Service Association (NETSA) hall of fame.
Evans’ induction into the hall of fame honors a career devoted to solving business and environmental challenges through her leadership of New England’s tire industry and as an official of the federal government.
She has served as director of the Connecticut district for the U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration since 2008. She and her team of trade specialists helped Connecticut companies grow their export business to nearly a billion dollars in products and services in 2012.
Evans came to the federal government with 30 years of experience in the retailing, retreading, importing, exporting, and waste tire collection and recycling sectors of the global tire industry. She began managing her family’s dealership, City Tire, in Middletown, Conn., in 1978.
In 1982, Evans joined Import Tire Co., where she learned the basics of international trade. Four years later, she formed a company focused on the international trade of tires and waste-tire recycling. Her company was a partner in the development of the Exeter Energy plant in Sterling, Conn., which recycles over 10 million tires a year.
Evans went on to manage waste-tire issues for the government of the United Kingdom. With the support of the global tire industry, Evans founded Elm Energy & Recycling (UK) Limited to generate electricity from waste tires. She managed all aspects of the $80 million project from concept to financing.
Evans built on the plant’s environmental success to develop similar power facilities in Europe. She also served as chief executive of EER Limited, an international waste tire management company, and president of Tyres 2000 Limited, an international tire trader and reseller.
Evans has served in leadership positions for the Association of Independent Electricity Producers (UK), NETSA, the National Tire Dealers and Retreaders Association (NTDRA), the Tire Industry Association (TIA), and many other business and community groups.
Melvin is founder of Melvin’s Tire Pros and Auto Service Centers, which has five locations in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. His tire industry career began in 1967 when he joined the former Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. After managing two stores, he was promoted to store supervisor responsible for 14 locations.
In 1975, he and a partner founded their own business. Eventually they bought a poorly performing Firestone store in Woonsocket, R.I. Melvin’s partner retired in 1997. The business grew to five stores, with Melvin’s son Jim Jr. now its president.
Melvin has served on the boards of the NTDRA, the Tire Association of North America, and TIA. He is a past board member and president of NETSA.
Haley was the third-generation owner of Haley Tire, which had four locations. A longtime member of NETSA, he had served on the board of directors.
Always active in his community, Haley focused his efforts on fund-raising events for cancer research after being diagnosed with colon cancer in May 2009. He founded Team Headstrong, a group of family and friends who became cyclists in support of cancer research. Their largest event was the Pan-Mass Challenge, a 192-mile bicycle race. Tim and Team Headstrong raised over $70,000 for this cause. He died Feb. 27, 2012, at the age of 44.
For more information, visit the NETSA website.
