Gary MacCausland is chief officer of store operations for Auburn, Maine-based VIP Tires & Auto. He also is the incoming Tire Industry Association (TIA) president.

MacCausland is well-acquainted with the daily challenges that independent tire dealers face. In this interview, he discusses how TIA will continue to support its tire dealer members during his term, which starts this week. 

MTD: How will your current role at VIP Tires & Auto influence the direction you want TIA to take? 

MacCausland: One of the reasons I got involved with TIA is that my personal priorities and VIP's priorities directly align with TIA's core mission. The VIP mission is to earn an automotive customer for life. And there's no better way I know of to achieve that than by training, investing in your people, keeping your people safe and keeping your customers safe. And then the government affairs piece is absolutely critical for tire dealers to have a voice and representation in government. I'll continue to support that.  

MTD: You mentioned TIA's legislative work. TIA recently went to Capitol Hill to campaign for a bill that would incentivize the use of truck tire retreads. Can you bring us up to speed on this and other legislation priorities for the association? 

Maccausland: (The retreading bill) is such an important priority as far as creating jobs and keeping jobs in the U.S., stimulating business within the transportation industry and the reduction of tire disposal, which is a huge issue TIA is really involved with, as well. It's an important bill and hopefully TIA's efforts and the industry's efforts can steer it in the right direction. There are 13 major (legislative) issues that TIA is involved in and 218 state issues we're tracking.  

MTD: TIA continues to update and enhance its training programs. Why is this important? Can you provide a preview of some enhancements that are planned for 2027? 

MacCausland: We enhance (our training programs) as the industry changes. We have to adapt accordingly. TIA's training is best-in-class and we'll continue to keep it that way, but also put a lot of effort into (language) translations to make sure that training is available and accessible to a greater population of technicians so everybody can take advantage and get the training they need to keep themselves safe. 

MTD: What are some other pressing issues facing TIA and its tire dealer members? 

MacCausland: Infrastructure funding ... that's a big one and it goes right to the next one, which is tire-derived aggregate and rubber-modified asphalt. The recycling of tires is a very big issue for the industry and for TIA, as well. The estate tax is something that's been a big deal for the smaller independents. Lawsuit abuse is another topic. The Drive Safe Act is another one. Move-over protection for tire service vehicles ... we're very involved with that. It's in place in most states, but not all, and probably needs to be enhanced in some states. That's a top thing.  

MTD: What are some of the opportunities you see for tire dealers and TIA? How will TIA approach these under your guidance? 

MacCausland: Attracting technicians and hiring technicians is a huge challenge throughout the industry and near and dear to my heart. TIA is helping support that. We've partnered with other organizations within the automotive industry, but also outside the industry. There's been a significant decline of folks going into the trades ... so just creating awareness and making sure people understand what that career path looks like. There's nothing more important than investing in your people, training your people, keeping them safe, keeping your customers safe and being involved – even at the grassroots level – with government affairs. I want to continue to be committed to the direction TIA is going in and focusing on the same things. I'm looking forward to continuing to work with the great team of professionals on our board to address issues as they arise and keep TIA's mission in place.