Tire Industry Conference held.

Clemson University will present The Tire Industry Conference at the Hyatt Regency, Hilton Head Island, SC, March 1-3.

This sixteenth annual tire industry conference will cover changes in the rubber industry, including globalization, mergers and acquisitions, new product ideas, emerging markets and regulatory effects.

In addition to tire yams, shreds, precure rings and rubber reinforcement trends, attendees will closely examine fleet management tactics, run flat technology, product development cycles and safety issues.

Attendees will also examine domestic, European and Asian industry trends to ascertain their impact on marketing and financial outlooks.

The effects of new industry regulations at state and federal levels will be examined.

This comprehensive, interdisciplinary conference is designed to address developments throughout the field of tire design, research and manufacturing in all allied industries, whether directly or indirectly involved in tiremaking.

The conference is aimed at product designers and developers, fiber producers, industrial fabric weavers, product converters, quality control personnel, plant engineers, R&D personnel, marketing researchers, rubber compounders, industrial fabric users, chemical manufacturers, industrial suppliers, production managers, scrap tire users and scrap tire dealers.

Session 1 of the tire industry conference will be moderated by Hassan M. Behery, professor at the School of Textiles, Fiber and Polymer Science, Clemson University.

George Dagnino, president of Peter Dag & Associates, will present "The outlook for the economy and financial markets." Attendees will explore recent domestic and international economic and financial developments. Dagnino will review recent trends of the business cycle and their impact on consumers, commodities, short term and long term interest rates and the stock market.

"Tire retailing in the new millennium" will be presented by Daved E. Poisson, chief executive officer of the Tire Association of North America. Tire retailing is said to be changing because the world in which consumers live is changing dramatically. Today's consumer often lives in a family that has more than one wage earner. He or she is said to want more recreational or family time. Some consumers are working from home, and many are surfing the Internet before deciding which tires to buy and from whom. What do these trends mean for the way tires are sold across North America? Poisson will help attendees explore what the tire industry will have to do to survive in the economy of tomorrow, leveraging its strengths in the ongoing battle for customer loyalty.

Dennis Virag, president of The Automotive Consulting Group, will present "Managing for performance in an era of challenge." Auto suppliers are said to be under pressure to "develop technology, increase service, assume warranties and reduce cost." Attendees will look at the impact of change on the supplier business and supplier performance and how high performance companies continue to outperform their peers by a wide margin.

Lloyd Stoyer, editor of Modern Tire Dealer magazine, will present "Adapting to changing competition." Attendees will take a statistical look at business changes that occur in the tire industry. They will examine how tire dealers must adapt to these changes by modifying business practices and adjusting their relationship with tire manufacturers to survive and compete successfully with evolving megadealers and new channels of distribution.

"Efforts to harmonize tire regulations" will be presented by Steven Butcher, vice president of Technical & Standards for the Rubber Manufacturers Association. Attendees will get an update on the status of efforts to globally harmonize tire regulations. They will get an inside look at topics such as the Trans-Atlantic Business Dialogue, Economic Commission for Europe and Global Tire Standards 2000.

Session 2 of the tire industry conference will be moderated by Harvey Brodsky, managing director, Tire Retread Information Bureau.

Jana Miles White, section manager, Grants and Trust Fund Administration, SC Department of Health and Environmental Control, will present "Waste tire recycling and market development in South Carolina." The South Carolina Solid Waste Policy and Management Act of 1991 provided a fee on the sale of waste tires. These funds have been used for stockpile abatement, to establish an infrastructure for tire recycling and for market development. Miles White will discuss how this program is working.

"Rubber recycling markets expanding in real time" will be discussed by a panel consisting of Mary B. Sikora, president, Recycling Research Institute, Scrap Tire News Division; Tiffany R. Hughes, vice president of marketing, American Rubber Technologies; and Richard Gust, executive vice president of Lakin General.

During the last decade, substantial investments are said to have been made to recover and utilize scrap tires and other rubber products. Today, this is said to be an industry that knows the success of tire and rubber recycling depends on its ability to expand and service a broad array of markets. This panel of industry leaders and hands-on tire recyclers will take attendees through the lifecycle of the tire in real time, pointing out trends to watch, markets to follow and roadblocks to navigate as the tire and rubber recycling industry enters the new millennium. Attendees will look at real time market opportunities in each aspect in the life cycle of a tire, including collection/sorting, applications, treatments, materials and products. The panel also will give attendees the latest update on current laws and regulations and show how they are influencing the tire and rubber recycling industry.

"Retread technology: Past, present and future" will be presented by Marvin Bozarth, executive director, International Tire & Rubber Association. This presentation will illustrate changes in technology as the tire industry evolved. It will also show attendees how the technology changed the retread industry and improved the finished product.

David A. Kolman, editor in chief and publisher of Truck Sales & Leasing magazine, will present "Capitalizing on opportunities in the evolving trucking industry." Attendees will look at emerging trends in the trucking industry and receive suggestions for taking advantage of the opportunities they present. Attendees will also explore how the trucking industry is responding and using changes in technology.

"How the service industry can stay out of the courtroom" will be presented by Charles G. Gold, president of Charles G. Gold Tire Consulting. When less than a full set of tires is installed, in what positions should the new tires be installed? The complete answer might surprise attendees, who will examine these new aspects of tire repairs, speed rated tire replacements and safety inspections, to name only a few tire cases that appear in the courtroom.

Session 3 will be moderated by Dick Stephens, vice president, technical for Cooper Tire & Rubber, Tire Division.

Clarence M. Ditlow, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, will present "The role of the consumer group in regulating the tire industry." The structure of the tire industry is said to have changed from a national industry with many small firms to a global industry with a few large firms and a competitive fringe. During this presentation, attendees will see how the Center for Auto Safety interfaces with agencies involved in regulatory activities.

"The 21st century automotive industry: Global issues and challenges" will be presented by Bruce M. Belzowski, senior research associate, Office for the Study of Automotive Transportation, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. This presentation will give attendees insight into the issues and challenges facing automotive manufacturers, suppliers and retailers at the start of the 21st century.

Isabel Jasinowski, vice president of government relations for Goodyear Tire & Rubber will present "What does 2000 bring for the tire industry in Washington?" A review of key issues for the tire industry from a legislative and regulatory viewpoint will be presented. What will be accomplished in Congress? What is the outlook for the 2000 election and how will it affect businesses will be discussed.

"PAX technology - a catalyst for providing system solutions for automobile manufacturers" will be presented by Don Baldwin, manager of new business development for Michelin Automotive Industry Division. Attendees will take an in-depth look at the following items: The PAX technology as an integrated system of tire, wheel, run-flat insert and tire pressure sensor; the physical configuration of the PAX system as it awaits new sizes and materials for brakes and/or installation of motive power at each wheel; and the performance of the PAX system allowing for redesign of the vehicle interior space and elimination of the spare and jack.

Thomas J. Long, Sr., development engineer of tire-wheel systems for General Motors, will present "General Motors' tire requirements and evolving trends." General Motors' central tire group is said to have had a long tradition of established tire performance criteria. Each new vehicle program is said to have a unique set of challenges that are reflected in that vehicle's tire specifications. In addition, the globalization of the auto industry has suggested unique regional considerations for tire specifications. New trends in North American vehicles for larger diameter wheels and consumer desires for run-flat tires are said to be adding new dimensions to the complex set of trade-offs that make up today's tire.

"The low sidewall concept is setting a new level of performance in the construction and agricultural industries" will be presented by Raymond W. Evans, vice president of tire engineering for Titan. The LSW assemblies are said to provide for significantly improved lateral stability on high center of gravity applications. Increased vertical stiffness also reduces bounce in load and carry applications. For higher speed applications, the LSW is said to greatly reduce the road lope and power hop phenomena. The LSW concept has already received the prestigious AE-50 Award from ASAE and the OE MIE Award for innovation.

Session 4 will be moderated by John Lofgren, manager of tire engineering for Hankook Tire.

Thomas J. Wielenga, president of Engineering Insight LLC, will present "The tire's role in rollover safety." As vehicles have gotten taller and tire grip has increased, rollover accidents are said to have mushroomed. Since vehicle manufacturers are reluctant to give up the lucrative SUV and mini-van market, modifying certain properties of the fires is said to provide an opportunity for increased safety.

"Michelin Earthmover Management System (MEMS), description, functionality and customer benefits" will be presented by Pat Hicks, manager, Michelin Earthmover Management System, Michelin Earthmover Tires. Productivity and its resultant cost reduction in the large mining, quarry and general earthmover business is said to never have been a more critical issue. Michelin is addressing this issue by developing the Michelin Earthmover Management System. This state-of-the-art tire pressure and temperature monitoring system is designed to help Michelin customers improve the efficiency of their operations. MEMS, which links to the conventional mine management systems, provides real time information on the two key tire operating parameters, pressure and temperature, for all tires on the vehicle, including alerts to signal the need for corrective action and enhanced tire performance.

Dennis Byrne, professor of economics at the University of Akron, Department of Economics, will present "The tire industry: Yesterday, today and tomorrow." What are the prospects for the tire industry as it enters a new century? This presentation will answer that question. Attendees will examine the technological, cost and competitive forces that have shaped the industry. This process will generate a series of results attendees can use to evaluate the current state of the industry, as well as predict some future trends.

"Five things that are changing the tire industry forever" will be presented by Gary B. Crigger, executive vice president of business planning and diversified operations for Bridgestone/ Firestone. Not since rubber was added to the wagon wheel or air to the tire has the tire industry been faced with such a dramatically changing operating environment. This time, the forces of change are not tire construction related. Managing a mature product in a globalizing world is moving the tire industry into uncharted management territory. Attendees will talk about some of the major trends influencing the tire industry, and consider where these influences are taking them.

Jeff Zupancic, senior manager, tire practice, J.D. Power and Associates, will present "OE tire satisfaction." Attendees will take an in-depth look at what drives OE tire satisfaction and how it drives replacement tire intentions. Participants will discover how product performance, as well as the mix of tire lines and the mix of OE fitments, impact overall tire brand satisfaction.

"Tire industry market trends and demand forecasts" will be presented by Steven Teslik, vice president of marketing information services for the Rubber Manufacturers Association. This presentation will encompass the trends in the tire industry over the last five years and present the industry's projected demand for the major tire segments for the following four years. Attendees will cover these major tire segments: Passenger, light truck and medium/heavy truck markets. Participants also will review the demand in their respective subcategories, including original equipment, replacement, imports and exports.

Session 5 will be moderated by Eugene R. Barron, Research Fellow for DuPont/DuPont Nylon.

Robert L. Culp, senior consultant for Smithers Scientific Services, will present "The tire industry in China." Participants will learn about the tire industry in China. China has more than 100 tire factories that annually produce a total of 50 million passenger and truck tires, plus more than 200 million bicycle and motorcycle tires. Attendees will find out about the challenges of conducting research in China, how China's tire industry compares to the United States' and the outlook for the future.

"Gobal changes in polyester reinforcement supply" will be presented by Harvey Rowan, director of business development for AlliedSignal, Performance Fibers. The decade of the 90s is said to have seen major change in globalization and restructuring of the polyester tire reinforcement and industrial fiber supply. Using AlliedSignal as a key example, attendees will review the methods and new paradigms that have been used to create this new supply structure.

Richard Brice, senior economist, industrial market research for LMC International Ltd. will present "Is there a future for rayon tire yam?" With the commercialization of advanced polyester tire yams since the late 1980s, the demise of rayon as a tire reinforcement in western Europe was widely predicted to occur well before the end of the 1990s. However, rayon is still used today in large quantities to reinforce the high performance, high speed rated tires manufactured in western Europe. In fact, demand for rayon rose in 1998 and 1999 as output of these tires increased. The development of new tire technology, notably self-supporting run-flat tires, may well create new opportunities for rayon tire yam. This presentation examines the trends in demand for rayon tire yam through the 1990s and its likely prospects in the new decade.

"Trends in truck tire steel cord constructions" will be presented by Yvan Lippens, technical service manager for Bekaert N.V., Steel Cord Division. Steel cords in truck tires must be designed to perform in specific areas of the tire. Carcass cords must have long fatigue life and belt cords must be economical and have excellent robber penetration properties.

Stephan Sherriff, staff engineer for Tirecord Business Unit, KOSA, will present "The product application laboratory - a marketing tool." The product application laboratory is said to provide unique value to the marketing of materials into the tire industry. Its role in the selling of new products or processes to the industry is said to be only a small part of the value it provides. On an on-going basis, consulting with the customers' technical people and laboratories, independent laboratory validation of results, specialized testing and additional resources for problem solving in the customers' manufacturing processes all are said to provide value.

The registration fee for The Tire Industry Conference is $995. Further information is available from Kay James [phone].