Kumho has joined the growing number of tire companies contributing to this year’s Tire Industry Association (TIA) Foundation fundraising drive.
Foundation proceeds have financed the development of a number of important training initiatives over the last decade. Most recently it helped develop the Spanish translation of TIA’s Commercial Tire Service (CTS) program and will support development of the new Farm Tire Service (FTS) training that is expected to be released next year.
Without the Foundation, TIA would not have been able to produce a much-needed training program for members with Spanish-speaking technicians or a new program that covers the service procedures and safety guidelines for agricultural tires, according to TIA President Larry Brandt.
Other contributors include Bridgestone, Cooper, Goodyear, Michelin, Yokohama and Marangoni Tread North America.
Brandt, past-President Mike Berra, Jr., Executive Vice President Dr. Roy Littlefield and Senior Vice President of Training Kevin Rohlwing are meeting with Kumho Vice President Armand Allaire and Vice President of Marketing Rick Brennan at the Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. company headquarters to discuss Foundation support, TIA’s role in the tire industry and other items.
“The investment in educational programs that TIA and these companies support help TIA continue its mission of training technicians on the proper procedures for servicing all types of tires and wheels,” says Brandt.
Rohlwing describes the Foundation as “the life-blood for technician training and certification.”
He notes that “without the Foundation resources, we would not have the funding to update and translate existing programs or develop new ones. In the last five years, the Foundation has invested $772,000 in program development and we plan to spend at least another $300,000 over the next three years on the new FTS and Industrial Tire Service (ITS) Programs.”
The TIA Foundation, which began in 2001, is a completely separate 501(c)3 nonprofit entity, and thus all contributions are tax-deductible. The Foundation’s sole purpose is to fund training and education, which means every dollar contributed is returned to the industry in the form of a new program or video, according to Brandt.
Donations can be made by sending a check (payable to “TIA Foundation”) to: TIA Foundation, 1532 Pointer Ridge Place, Suite G, Bowie, MD 20716. The Foundation can provide receipts upon request for tax purposes.
For more information, visit www.tireindustry.org.
