Table of Contents PAGE 2 - Scholarship Application PAGE 3 - Vehicle Inspection Playbook PAGE 4 - Presidents Message PAGE 12 - Bob’s Service Column PAGE 13 TDA of WPA 2015 Schedule of Events PAGE 19 - Tire Review Top Shop News Release

March 2015

Tire Trax E-Newsletter

OFFICERS

President

Ron Brutt

412-771-0124

Fax-412-771-9190

raceboss@att.net

Executive Director

Jack Greiner

724-834-8164

Fax 724-836-0309

tiredealers@hotmail.com

Vice-President

Bill Schwartz

Secretary-Treasurer

Marcia Guttilla

Directors

Sherry Evans

Ron Fischer

Shaun Fitzgerald

Christy Lewis

Bob Richey

Sperry Schemm

Photographer

Cindy Richey

Website

www.tdaofwpa.com

TIRE DEALERS ASSOCIATION OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA

SAVE THIS DATE Wednesday May 13,2015

General Membership Meeting Hilton Garden Inn Southpointe

Guest Speaker - Scott Smith Federal Bureau of Investigation / Pittsburgh. Division

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Tire Dealers Association of Western PA 2015 Scholarship Fund In 2015 the TDA of WPA will award two (2) $1000.00 College Scholarships to a Member’s son, daughter, stepson or stepdaughter or grandchild. The applicant must be the child, step child or grandchild of a current member or employee of the member of the TDA of WPA and will have graduated from high school in 2015 or is already attending college, trade school or business school. Only one application will be eligible from each member. A member is defined as a dues paying business of the TDA of WPA. Members with multiple locations that only pay one dues will be eligible for only one applicant. It will be the responsibility of the member to determine the applicant. Applicant must be enrolled as a full time student. Postgraduate students are not eligible. Previous award winners are not eligible. To be eligible the member must submit the below application to the association postmarked by July 15, 2015. No phone, fax or email applications will be accepted. In the event that more valid applications are received than scholarships the following procedure will be used to determine the awards. The PA Daily number game on August 1, 2015 will be used to determine the winning numbers. Each valid applicant will be given a 3 digit number for the daytime and the evening drawing. The applicant that holds the number closest without going over it on the daytime number will receive 1 of the awards. The 2nd award will go to the person holding the number closest without going over it on the evening drawing. In the evening drawing if all numbers are over, the lowest number over it will be the winner The TDA of WPA Board of Directors will vote to resolve any disputes. In the event only one application is received then only one scholarship will be awarded. The Scholarship check will be made out to the student and the school of his/her choice. The scholarship is not limited to potential college students, but is intended for anyone wanting to further their education whether it is college, trade school or business school.

TDA of WPA SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

TDA of WPA Members Name ___________________________________________________ Business Name ________________________________________Phone___________________ Address ______________________________________________________________________ City ________________________________________State____________ZIP______________ Applicants Name ______________________________________________________________ Home Address _________________________________________Phone __________________ City ________________________________________State ___________ZIP______________ High School Graduated From _____________________________________Date___________ College or School you plan on attending ___________________________________________ If already in a college or school the name and class year ______________________________ Signature of Member ___________________________________________________________ Signature of Applicant __________________________________________________________

MAIL APPLICATION IN FULL TO TDA of WPA

P.O. Box 1524

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Now! Download the Free "Money Maker"

"Well written, easy to read...15 vital 'plays' that create an effectiveon-going

inspection process. I was impressed." - Ed Kovalchick, CEO of Net Profit, Inc.

Download your free copy at

www.mightyautoparts.com/eplaybook.

WOW what a winter and its not over yet. A mild, less than normal November and December sure turned into a nightmare in January, February and March so far. Certainly other parts of the Northeast had it worse but enough is enough, Spring please come NOW. So now we have a new wrinkle for the independent tire dealer to wrestle with. A major tire manufacture is now going to sell tires directly to consumers via the internet and their e-commerce store. Now this is nothing new as Tire Rack and many others are currently doing it. What makes this different is it is the manufacture bypassing its retailers. Yes they say they are going to direct the customer who buys to the dealers for the mounting and related services and pay a delivery commission. From my past dealings with this kind of arrangement in national account deliveries, you are paid in credits to your account not real cash. Will this be the same? Furthermore I ask these question will the other manufacturers be jumping on this band wagon? Is the independent dealer of the future going to be an installer for the manufacturers whose profit margins are set by them? Will the service reimbursement be one size fits all? In today’s car and wheel world we know for sure that mounting and balancing is not the same on each vehicle, is that being taken into account? The fallout and the questions on this subject have just begun. What transpires has the potential to impact your business perhaps from a positive standpoint or it can certainly glean full price buyers from your fold and be a negative. It is way too early to tell but myself I do not have a good feeling about it. The investment to be in today’s tire world deserves more than a delivery commission and a fixed price for service of a 3rd party purchase of the product, in my humble opinion. The Association myself and I know each and every member passes on our most sincere condolences to Tom and Bob and the entire Richey family on the pass-ing of both their parents. Mr. and Mrs. Richey were true friends of our associa-tion and attended many functions we held as guests of their sons. I personally feel very privileged to have known them and admire the fine family they raised. In closing I ask you to please support the association that supports you the TDA of WPA and God Bless America.

President Ron’s Message

March 2015

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If You Are Not A Member of The Tire Dealers Association Of Western Pennsylvania You Should Be!

We Support You And Your Business! Contact Any Of the Below

Ron Brutt, Jack Greiner, Any Board Member Or Another Member For Your Application To Join

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The 2014/15 Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) Relearn Charts Are Now Available. To Get Yours Call Jack Greiner @ 724-836-0309

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NHTSA Puts Tire Aging In The Grave

The Tire Industry Association (TIA) is pleased with a recent report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on the service life of tires. “Tire Aging: A Summary of NHTSA’s Work” rein-forces the position of the industry that federal tire aging regulations are not necessary. The report summa-rizes numerous studies and tests that have been conducted over the past 12 years to determine if there are any links between long-term durability and the chronological age of the tire.

The NHTSA report concluded that there was no need to add an aging requirement to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 139 because the current standard has made passenger tires more robust, crash data shows that tires are performing better, and tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) are alert-ing drivers of under inflation.

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TPMS TRAINING ANYONE INTERESTED IN TRAINING AT YOUR FACILITY?

DAVE HARRINGTON OF EASTMAN TIRE SUPPLIES WILL ARRANGE TRAINING AT YOUR SHOP

DAVE AND HIS PEOPLE ARE TIA CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS CONTACT DAVE AT 724-822-4722 TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS

THE TRUE PROFESSIONAL IS PROPERLY TRAINED

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Do You Have Something To Sell? Used Equipment, Service Truck, Service Tools, Office Supplies?

Let Us Know We Will List It in The Newsletter. This Is A Free Service To Our Members.

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TDA of WPA Training Lending Library The Association has a library of training materials, videos and work-books available for your use. Programs Available Include -Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems, Basic Automotive Service, Basic Commercial Tire Service, Agriculture Mount/Dismount, Distracted Driving and More. Call Bob Richey at 412-766-0800 For Details on The Loaner Program.

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Welcome to Western PA Matt Johnson

Federated Insurance New Marketing Representative

Page 12 BOB RICHEY’S SERVICE COLUMN

There is a Price for Honesty You see or hear it often––an oil, lube, and filter for $19.95 with a free tire rotation. There are a lot of shops that use this approach to get vehicles into their service bays in the hope of selling other services to offset “the giveaway.” There is absolutely nothing wrong with this marketing, as long as it is executed with the highest level of integrity and honesty. Anyone who has been in this business a long time knows too well there are many shops that use this approach. Unfortunately, some are overzealous in their recommendations or statements as to what should be repaired for whatever the reason, or often use safety as a focus of why the car should be “repaired immediately.” We know this puts tremendous stress or pressure on customers. We choose not to use this approach because I consider it “smoke and mirrors,” and I pre-fer a more transparent approach. I feel that each repair should stand on its own. I am sim-ply not a big believer in giving away one service to potentially overcharge or misrepresent another. An additional issue is that most technicians are paid commissions or flat rate and can also become caught up in pushing the envelope as to what a vehicle may need for safety or what is recommended for maintenance. If you work closely with your service de-partment, I find that many technicians will understate brake readings and overstate tire tread readings. Also, the technicians do not always have a feel or sense of customers who, while they may have somewhat worn brakes, only drive a few thousand miles per year. With so many small businesses struggling to make ends meet, it is easy to overemphasize what should be repaired on a vehicle at any given time––without taking into consideration whether the job needs to be done immediately or soon, or maybe before the next inspec-tion or visit. Yet another issue is that parts on a vehicle are constantly evolving. For exam-ple, I have noticed that not all engine belts crack like they used to, so when that item may fail could be subject to speculation. Belt condition is considerably more important to someone who travels versus someone who only drives locally. Over the years, I have come to realize that often training is done by the manufacturers or suppliers. It is my opinion that this could almost be construed as a conflict of interest. A company who manufactures shocks or struts may present training that misleads some as to when the product should be replaced. Using a guideline such as mileage would be a poor barometer, if you were to compare one driver who does a lot of local driving, living in a neighborhood with cobblestone roads, versus another who is in sales and the majority of driving is interstate. Lastly, if there is one thing that stands out in my experience, it is that customers do recog-nize honesty and transparency. On the occasions when we had a chance to offer a second opinion to a customer who was in an overzealous shop, we end up with a devoted customer for life when we took the time to talk and explain to the customer the true condition and safety of the vehicle. As always, Good Luck and Good Selling!

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TDA of WPA 2015

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

JANUARY 14 WEDNESDAY DINNER MEETING HILTON SOUTHPOINTE MARCH 11 WEDNESDAY BOARD MEETING DENUNZIOS MONROEVILLE MAY 13 WEDNESDAY DINNER MEETING HILTON GARDEN INN / SOUTHPOINTE JUNE 17 WEDNESDAY GOLF OUTING QUICKSILVER GOLF CLUB AUGUST 12 WEDNESDAY BOARD MEETING DENUNZIOS MONROEVILLE SEPTEMBER 9 WEDNESDAY DINNER MEETING HILTON GARDEN INN / SOUTHPOINTE OCTOBER 10 SATURDAY RUBBER BALL PLACE TO BE DETERMEND.

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ATTENTION RETREADERS A new interpretation of a decades old revenue ruling resulted in the IRS sending out 10 field agents to crack down on retreaders who were not paying a FET on imported casings that were being retreaded. Within two weeks, five TIA members contacted the Association office because they were being investigated by the IRS and were facing significant fines and tax bills. TIA immediately contacted the IRS and presented a long history of rules, regulations, and revenue rulings. On May 19, the IRS contacted TIA and confirmed that they had reviewed and ultimately reversed their earlier ac-tion and released the affected retreaders from any liability. The confusion resulted from an interpretation of a revenue ruling that spelled out that imported casings suit-able for road use should be taxed. They interpreted that a retreaded tire was suitable for road use and was therefore subject to the new FET because it had not been previously taxed. The Association had worked on a revenue ruling that clearly stated that an imported casing not suitable for use would be considered a raw material to be used in the retread process and would not be subject to the FET. If any retreader is approached by an IRS field agent on this issue, please contact Roy Littlefield at the Associa-tion office.

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A Very Special Thank You To All Our Advertisers And Sponsors Who Make This Newsletter And Our Events Possible!

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Tire Registration Dealers are required by Federal Law to offer registration to all tire customers. The law also stipulates that this information can be used for recall purposes only. Whether you are a tire consumer, tire dealer, tire manufacturer or brand owner, it is important that you understand your rights and responsibilities re-garding tire registration. You can do this by giving a mail in form or by register-ing them electronically. A Source for either option if you do not have one is below. CIMS TIRE REGISTRATION cimstireregistration.com Phone 330-794-9190

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NEWS RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION Date: Jan. 19, 2015 Contact: Matt Bemer, 330-670-1234 x270 CALL FOR ENTRIES: 2015 Tire Review Top Shop Awards Opens Prestigious Award Recognizes Outstanding Tire Dealer Businesses (AKRON, OH) The entry period for the 2015 Tire Review Top Shop Awards is open and will run through June 5. Now in its ninth year, the industry-leading Top Shop Awards program seeks to honor the “best of the best” independent tire dealers in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Entry forms and information are now available online exclusively at the Top Shop Awards Web site at tirereview.com/topshop. Complete entries can be made right online. The Tire Review Top Shop Awards spotlight independent tire dealers – retail, commercial or wholesale – that epitomize the attributes and values stressed in every issue of Tire Review: exemplary customer service and retention, training and education, merchandising and promotion, professional standards and con-duct, innovation, appearance, business management, community involvement, business growth, achievement and innovation. All of the winners and finalists are profiled on the Tire Review website and in a special Top Shop section of Tire Review’s magazine. “It is a credit to the quality of dealers honored by this program that the Top Shop Awards have earned the respect of everyone in the tire industry, and have clearly become the premier honor for North American tire dealers,” said Jim Smith, editor of Tire Review magazine. “Every participant, not just the Win-ners or Finalists, tell us how important the honor is to the industry and how grateful they are that there is a program that recognizes the success and ac-complishments of dealers of all sizes and types.” Dealers can nominate their own businesses, or others can nominate tire dealer businesses. The entry process is simple: Those making the nomination need to provide basic information about the dealership being nominated and write a short (300-word maximum) essay explaining why that dealership should be considered. Information about 2015 prizes will be announced later.