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ITEC 2008 Sponsors
Concurrent Meetings
Held During ITEC 2008
Rubber & Plastics News Conferences>>
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Message From The Conference Chairman
 Dear Colleague, Tire manufacturing is a unique process that requires a range of technical and business skills to succeed. We take a broad array of chemically active materials, form them into flimsy components, assemble them into precision structures on complex machines, and chemically react these composites into one of the toughest safety related products available to an often non-caring consumer. Our total global industry is actually quite small at about $115 billion dollars. To better put our smallness into perspective, one should consider that the US pizza industry is about $32 billion dollars. Despite our small size, we are all privileged to be an influential part of an industry that is critical to the global economy. Our products represent a sophisticated blend of the physical sciences and mathematics tempered by years of hands-on experience. You don’t become a tire industry materials, design or manufacturing expert by only reading books or staring at a computer screen. You have to physically immerse yourself in the technology, manufacturing and business with a professionalism that also requires going outside the walls of your employment. Part of your professional tire industry immersion process should be an interactive attendance at the International Tire Exhibition and Conference. The secretive nature of the industry is well justified when one considers the value of an improved process or material. Many aspects of tire technology cannot be reverse engineered, and the staggering costs in both time and money to develop these proprietary advantages must be carefully protected. With budgetary pressures being caused by the rapidly escalating cost of doing business, it’s natural to review all company policies for opportunities to save money. Often an easy target is the time/cost of attendance at meetings and conventions. Of course, meetings must be carefully selected for the practical opportunities offered. When ITEC was first offered in 1994, the original objective was to present to the tire manufacturing industry an eclectic mix of application-ready information packets in the form of carefully vetted papers, exhibits and delegate networking opportunities. ITEC 2008 holds to that objective. We have our famous ad-hoc brown-bag informal lunch meetings where industry experts discuss a range of subjects (such as tread detachment tear patterns). ITEC 2006 helped open up the 4/32 tread wear out indicator proposal that is now creating a great deal of useful discussion and debate inside and outside the industry. ITEC 2008 will offer another brown-bag ad hoc opportunity for you to speak your mind. The shrinkage of staffs within the industry, the pressure of raw material and energy costs as well as government regulators demanding more environmentally friendly manufacturing protocols and more efficient tires puts all of us on notice that the “business as usual” days have ended. The conference will address tire efficiency and tire oxidation as well as a full range of other subjects. We will gain valuable technology insights into the unprecedented and rapid globalization of the industry with very high level speakers from China, India and Japan. Consumer Reports and J D Power will address important consumer issues. ITEC offers increased possibilities to improve, conserve and grow your business. It gives a professionalism to the individual with a chance to see beyond the sometimes stifling invisible corporate culture that can drain our creative and innovative energy. With over 60 papers representing thousands of hours of author time, sweat and investment, how can you risk not coming back to the office with a great improvement idea that is worth thousands of times more than the time/money invested in ITEC 2008? Speak to those in your company who must authorize attendance and those who should attend. Meet with those from your departments and those from your distant operations and form a coordinated company plan to get the most out of the ITEC. Plan to conduct a debriefing with thoughts and suggestions when you return to your offices and plants so as to maximize the value of the ITEC experience and give your company (and yourself) a super bang for the buck. Hope to see you in Akron.
Harold Herzlich
Read Update - Conference Chairman’s Message: May 29, 2008 |
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