Tire Consultants Group LLC has added two industry professionals to its five-person team of business consultants: Tom Sawyer and John Rigney.
1. Tom Sawyer is known throughout the tire industry for his leadership and insights into the national and international OTR engineering arenas. A top-performing tire specialist and management professional with extensive domestic and international tire engineering experience, his understanding of the domestic marketplace coupled with his firm grasp of the offshore market accord him a keen perspective on current industry efforts and future trends.
A specialist in OTR tire sales and service, Sawyer is also known for his leadership, training, and customer service skills. He is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, Indonesian and African dialects.
Previously, he served as:
* regional OTR sales and marketing manager of the southeastern United States region for Tire Centers Inc. LLC in Orlando, Fla.;
* mine site manger at Pinto Valley for GCR Tire Co. in Phoenix;
* technical manager at the Penasquito Mine in Zacatecas, Mexico, for HSM Tire;
* regional manager of Mexico and Central America and global field engineer for Eurotire Inc. of Miami, Fla.
2. John Rigney is a successful entrepreneur and seasoned business professional with an impressive and diverse background, principally in the areas of finance, accounting and risk management. He has held senior positions with several of the tire industry’s leading purveyors. Having passed the CPA exam, John brings unique, in-depth knowledge that spans virtually the entire financial spectrum.
After serving as an accountant and business consultant, Rigney joined tire retailer and wholesaler Robert C Stotler Inc. as an accountant. Subsequently, he assumed the role of staff accountant, assistant and then controller at Merchant's Tire Co.
Rigney moved on to serve as controller at commercial tire and retreading firm Friend Tire Co. in Maryland. He returned to Merchant's Tire to assume the position of financial analyst.
He then joined American Tire Distributors Inc. as Northeast Regional vice president of finance. Then he was tapped to serve as chief financial officer for Treadways Corp. in Philadelphia, Pa.
Next up: He assumed the role of vice president/controller of shared services at TBC. Rigney then moved to New York to take the position of vice president of business investment in the Risk Management Department for Sumitomo Corp. of America. Finally, he joined Global Stainless Steel Supply of Houston, Texas, as vice president of finance and accounting.
“Tom and John are the consummate industry professionals who bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Tire Consultants Group,” says President Skip Viola. "Their skills and backgrounds are fully complementary, and their contributions to our clients will be felt immediately, and down the road.”
Tire Consultants Group provides sales, branding, advertising, marketing and operational support to tire dealers and wholesalers in North America, in addition to supply chain logistics, strategic planning, research and market analysis. For more information, visit www.tireconsultantsgroup.com.
