Greg Smith, publisher of Modern Tire Dealer (MTD), was honored by Northwood University for his more than 30-year contribution to education -- on any level, inside or outside the automotive aftermarket -- on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012.
The awards were presented during a luncheon at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, Nev., as part of the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo Show (AAPEX).
Smith, also an executive with MTD's parent company, Bobit Business Media, was one of nine recipients of Norhwood's 2012 Automotive Aftermarket Management Education Award. The honorees "are people of stature, and the award is recognition of substantial dedication over a number of years to the educational process and the field of automotive aftermarket," according to Northwood.
Smith was presented to university President Keith Pretty by Northwood senior Jason Freeman, who read Smith's accomplishments. Here are some excerpts.
1. "A 33-year veteran of automotive trade publishing, Greg Smith has held various publishing positions at the management level. He has worked extensively on both the editorial and publishing sides of the business and is a recognized expert in the aftermarket and tire industries.
"As such, he is a frequent speaker at many industry events. Mr. Smith has also traveled internationally as an advocate for the industries he serves."
2. "MTD is where Mr. Smith got his start, and through most of the last three decades, has led it to tire market prominence. Moreover, part of the MTD package is The Kovach Tire Report, a highly respected executive newsletter."
3. "To support education in the tire industry, MTD is one major sponsors of the Tire Industry Association’s Certified Instructor Training Tour, a program designed to train the trainer in proper safety and step-by-step procedures for proper wheel installation. As further reinforcement, Mr. Smith created the Performance Handbook, a how-to publication on proper ways to mount, balance and work with performance tires."
4. "Cognizant of the ongoing training issues with tire pressure monitoring systems, MTD devotes a full page in every issue to explain specific systems to dealers. Additionally, ongoing promotions of educational and training programs are provided to the readers of both MTD and Bobit’s newest publication, Auto Service Professional, which he helped launch in 2010. The primary focus of Auto Service Professional is to provide high-level information to an audience of more than 150,000 automotive tire professionals technicians whether they are business owners or technicians."
From his early years in the market, Smith has actively participated on industry committees and boards. Among the early ones were APAA and ASIA. He has since participated in AWDA, SEMA, NTDRA, TANA and TIA.
The eight other honorees are: William Burns, CEO, HDA Truck Pride; Robert Cushing, CEO and president, WORLDPAC; Chris Gardner, vice president, Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association; Steven Gibson, program coordinator, K & N Engineering; Tony Molla, vice president of communications, National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence; Ray Pohlman, vice president, government and community relations, customer satisfaction, AutoZone; Jimmy Quinten, president, Automotive Parts & Services Association; and Walter Spence Jr., president, Tri-States Automotive Warehouse.
Northwood University says it is committed to preparing students for success in their careers and in their communities by promoting "critical thinking skills, personal effectiveness, and the importance of ethics, individual freedom and responsibility." For more information, visit http://www.northwood.edu/.
