AKRON—To truly understand where the tire industry is going, you have to know where it's been. The International Tire Exhibition & Conference, an biannual event hosted by Rubber & Plastics News, is dedicated to exploring the trends and ideas that helping to lead the industry forward.
That forward-thinking perspective was capsulized in the keynote presentation given by Rich Kramer, Goodyear chairman, CEO and president, on the second day of the event. In it, he focused on the opportunities that lie in the technological, logistical and marketing challenges the industry faces today.
It also was highlighted on the expo show floor, where more than 90 companies exhibited some of the latest ideas and developments that are intended to help push the tire industry into the next decade.
ITEC also is dedicated to honoring the achievements that brought the industry to where it is today.
During a breakfast ceremony held before the start of the second-day programming, ITEC organizers honored Tweel Co-inventor Steve Cron with the Harold Herzlich Distinguished Technology Achievement Award. Following the presentation, Cron described what it took to bring Michelin's famous tire-wheel combination design from the drawing board to the market.