The last word: 5 messages from industry speakers that stick

You always leave with something.

An idea, an inspiration a bit of new information. That is, after all, what industry events are for.

Every year on our travels, we hear from speakers across the industry. They challenge us, inspire us and inform us.

Here's a look at just five of the speakers we encountered during our travels in 2024 and the messages that stuck with us.

It's not so much a matter of if, but when.

When will supply chains break down? Whitney Luckett says it could be sooner rather than later. That is why it is time to start rethinking them and looking for ways to strengthen them.

During her presentation at the ACS Rubber Division's Spring Technical Meeting, the Simko North America president detailed three of the most influential pressures on supply chains: geopolitical unrest, climate change and transportation costs.

And right now, all three are culminating to put immense pressure on logistics teams.

"I kind of pine for those 2018-2019 days when we reached levels of 90 percent schedule reliability," Luckett said. "We haven't seen anything like that (lately). COVID was taking us down 10-20 percent. … (And) I think that, in the coming decade, we are going to long for the days of COVID.

"We need to think very differently about supply chains in the next five to 10 years."

There's no denying that sustainability is at the heart of the tire industry's vision for the future. But are tire makers really doing all that they can to achieve big aims?

During a panel discussion hosted as part of the Smithers Traction Conference, John Baldwin, senior vice president and chief product and technical strategist for Discount Tire, challenged the industry to take even bigger steps, particularly when it comes to scrap tires.

"The industry has not pitched in in the U.S.," Baldwin said. "Let me say this very clearly: The tire manufacturers have not pitched in in the United States for what happens to scrap tires. That is a fact. I would be willing to have that debate, but it is a fact."

And the scrap tire response is just the start.

Baldwin went on to say that if tire makers are serious about their short- and long-term aims—those 2030 and 2050 goals aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement—they're going to need to buckle down and chart a realistic and specific path forward.

Because 2050 will be here before we realize it, Baldwin said.

"I do wonder sometimes about the Paris Accord, quite frankly," Baldwin said. "Because the way it is written, there is no weigh mark, there are no weigh points. It's like, 'OK I'm going to quit smoking by 2035, and I'm going to drop 40 pounds by 2050, and then you're still reaching for those cigarettes in 2034. And from what I can tell … (it doesn't appear) that anyone is going to get there. So, then what are we going to do? What is the next point?"

Goodyear is one of those tire makers that has its focus locked in on 2030 and 2050 benchmarks. And it, for one, has a very specific plan for achieving those goals.

During her keynote presentation at the ACS Rubber Division's International Elastomer Conference in September, Goodyear Chief Sustainability Officer Darcy Robison was frank about the vision that company has for itself and for the planet.

She discussed some of the ways that Goodyear intends to reduce its impact on the environment through both manufacturing and product performance. And one of the many ways it can do that is by doing more with more sustainable products.

"The carbon footprint comes from the product that you are buying. Pretty easy math: Buy less product, emit less carbon," Robison said. "So how do you do more with less material? How do you bring in more circular concepts to be able to reduce that carbon footprint for the products that we provide?"

The answer: You harness the potential of those more sustainable materials.

Goodyear is doing that by exploring partnerships with companies like Monolith that can offer more sustainably sourced and more sustainably manufactured products that can serve as replacements for some of the more traditional raw materials.

Sometimes, though, those sustainability benefits mean performance enhancements. And that, right there, that's the gold standard.

"How do we move away from some of the more traditional raw materials that we use in tire manufacturing and think about bio-based, more sustainable, lower-carbon-footprint replacement products that can either—certainly at a minimum—meet our stated performance standards?" Robison said. "But we are also seeing some opportunities to unlock additional enhancements on top of our decarbonization."

It's one thing to make safety a top priority. It's another to make it part of the culture.

And the latter, well, that's the best way to ensure safe working environments, according to Trinnie Cortez, an executive operations specialist with Tucson, Ariz.-based Caterpillar Safety Services.

"Wherever there are people, there is culture," Cortez said during the Environment, Health and Safety Summit hosted by the Association for Rubber Products Manufacturers and the Manufacturers Association for Plastic Processors. "Culture can be intentional or unintentional. But we need to put this into the context of safety. Incidents happen because of adverse conditions. Can we always blame employees?

"No. It is the attitudes and beliefs that the culture has that influences their behaviors."

In the case of Caterpillar, Cortez pointed to the company's 2003 incident rate, which impacted about 6 percent—or roughly 6,000—employees.

"That is an immense amount of people," Cortez said. "And the cost was astronomical—not just the effects on the 6,000 lives ... but on the families and friends of the people who were injured."

Cortez said the root of the problem lays in complacency. But he also saw this as an opportunity to change the culture, to make safety—both physical and mental—a core component.

"It means learning from our mistakes ... getting everyone actively involved in safety and caring about it," Cortez said. "I've certainly made my share of mistakes. The key is, how do we develop an effective, efficient team?

"I did it by developing a culture to keep people physically and mentally safe."

Success isn't achieved alone. Even when it comes to personal accomplishments, it involves a team of support—people who help to foster strengths, support you through difficult times and advocate for you, maybe even without your knowledge.

Yes, sponsorships play a critical role in professional development, Rolfe Olsen, president of the beverages unit at Graham Packaging Co., said during the leadership panel at the Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum.

"A sponsorship, it might exist without (the person being sponsored) even being aware that it exists," Olsen said.

And it is this quiet advocacy that emphasizes the need for aspiring leaders to challenge themselves, seek new opportunities and exhibit leadership skills, even when they think nobody is watching.

Because chances are, someone is.

"The reason people tell you to go for the stretch assignments and do the things that are special is because you might be discovered by someone inside your organization or outside your organization … who has an incredible ability to pull you up," Olsen said.