The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and the Tire Industry Assn. are teaming up to offer certified tire technician training, built around two one-day seminars in 48 cities next year. The training will help boost the skills of its commercial tire technicians.
Steve McClellan, Goodyear’s vp-commercial tire systems, said tire technicians from the Goodyear, Dunlop and Kelly dealer network, as well as Wingfoot Commercial Tire Centers, are eligible for the Goodyear/TIA joint certification.
“TIA’s certification process offers technicians valuable information that will help them perform their jobs better and with more care, particularly as we embark on an aggressive campaign to expand our service business through a strong network of tire-servicing outlets,” he said
McClellan said Goodyear seeks to improve its service business revenue, which is more stable than cyclical commercial tire sales, and expects better trained technicians can help it achieve that growth. “Knowledgeable tire technicians across more than 2,000 commercial tire centers will deliver unrivaled service to our customers in their quest to lower costs,” he noted.
Al Cohn, manager of strategic initiatives for Goodyear’s commercial tire systems, added that dealer training is another major initiative.
“Our vision is to do more than just manufacture quality tires – we want to create business solutions that are measurable, repeatable and sustainable,” he said. “That means helping dealers to work with fleets to manage their tire costs from original equipment to replacement and retreads, and delivering service and value along the way.”