Southern Tire Mart’s Gumersindo Compean is the 50,000th tire service specialist to be educated through the Tire Industry Association (TIA). He completed the TIA’s Commercial Tire Service (CTS) Training and Certification Program under the tutelage of instructor Walter Parker of Mohawk Rubber Sales.
The TIA’s training and certification efforts began in 1997, when one of its forerunner organizations, the International Tire & Rubber Association (ITRA), held the first Certified CTS Instructor class. The training library has since expanded to cover Automotive Tire Service (ATS), Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) and Earthmover Tire Service (ETS).
“We congratulate Gumersindo Compean on being the 50,000th tire service technician trained by a TIA program,” says TIA Executive Vice President Roy Littlefield. “We also want to recognize Southern Tire Mart and Mohawk Rubber Sales for their ongoing commitment to safety training and technician certification,” he adds.
“It’s fitting that one of our Certified Instructors trained the 50,000th technician,” notes Kevin Rohlwing, senior vice president of training.
“TIA’s ‘train-the-trainer’ approach to certification is designed to create a network of qualified instructors, so our tire dealer members have the flexibility to train and certify technicians at the local and regional levels,” he explains.
“By preserving the teacher-student relationship, we give technicians like Gumersindo the opportunity to ask questions and interact with a knowledgeable instructor. TIA also has basic training programs that consist of videos and workbooks, so every tire dealer has access to quality technician training materials,” says Rohlwing.
“Our goal from the beginning has been to improve safety in the shop and on the highway, so this milestone is shared by the thousands of instructors who have helped us change the way tires and wheels are serviced,” he points out.
“Knowing that our people are out on the roads serving the trucking industry with the most up-to-date training is a source of great pride,” says Tommy Duff, Southern’s owner.
“It is also a comfort to know that they are as safe as possible having completed TIA’s training and certification program,” Duff continues. “Southern Tire Mart has embraced TIA Certification to help us fulfill our vision of being the most professional tire people we can be for our customers.”
“Mohawk Rubber is committed to promoting safety and education in our industry,” says a company spokesman. “With a healthy, safe and informed workforce, the industry and the motoring public all benefit. We believe that TIA’s training and certification programs are the best tools available to accomplish that goal. Offering TIA training provides us with another opportunity to serve our customers and add even more value to our relationship.”
The majority of TIA-trained and -certified students are in North America, but the materials have been used for classes all over the world, including Jamaica, Mexico, the West Indies, Australia, Barbados, Korea, Qatar, Kuwait and Taiwan, according to Rohlwing.
The TIA regularly updates its existing programs and is exploring the development of new training resources for other markets, such as farm/agricultural and industrial tires, he says.
For more information, visit www.tireindustry.org.
