Goodyear’s Wingfoot Commercial Tire Systems LLC subsidiary earned “Best in Show” honors for the first time ever in a recent retread contest held by the Tire Industry Association (TIA). Receiving the top award in “Truck Mold Cure” was Darrell Yoder Jr., plant manager of a Wingfoot Commercial Tire center in Brunswick, OH.
All told, Wingfoot submitted entries from 29 of its North American plants to TIA’s 30th annual contest. Retreaders from around the world submitted their best work at the World Tire Expo in Louisville, KY for judging by the Tread Rubber and Repair Materials Manufacturers Group (TRMG).
Jim Foughty, Wingfoot’s director of manufacturing pointed out that the mold cure retreading process Yoder presented includes a casing on which uncured rubber is applied. He explained a curing press molds a design and vulcanizes the rubber to the casing using temperature and pressure. “It’s a process very similar to the way a new tire is made,” said Foughty.
On top of his first honor, Yoder won first place in “Excellence in Tire Repair,” scoring a 98% on a quiz and on his ability to perform all of the necessary steps for repairing a standard radial truck tire puncture.
"TRMG cannot emphasize the importance of proper tire repair enough,” said Norm Ball, TRMG chairman. "Our goal with the ‘Excellence in Tire Repair’ contest was to recognize the skill and ability of today's technicians and thank them for continually protecting motorists by repairing tires using the correct procedures, guidelines and materials."
For more information, go to www.goodyear.com/truck.
