Gain Traction

George Kingman is Founder and CEO of both Advanced Shop Leadership and BlueSky Tire and Auto Service, a burgeoning chain of stores with five locations in under five years. After beginning his journey in the tire and automotive industry as a teenage tire tech, George took a 17-year hiatus where he managed two businesses and held a senior analyst role focused on enhancing operational processes for o...

Charles Mesones, Partner at Cook's Tire & Service, has been a dedicated professional in the tire and auto repair Industry for over 25 years, following in the footsteps of his father who managed a competing company during the 1980s. Charles' journey began as a teenager, working under his father's guidance, where he learned valuable life and business lessons. Today, Charles proudly continues the...

Keegan Wentz is the President of McMahon's Automotive Technology Center, a family-owned service and repair shop based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. His vision and dedication have transformed the company into a pioneering institution for automotive technician training and career development. Under his leadership, McMahon’s has implemented a comprehensive training program that not only imparts technical s...

Don Detore is the Editor of Tire Business , an industry trade magazine published by Crain Communications, and has over 35 years of journalism experience. Geoff Doster is the President of Linglong Tires, spearheading the brand’s North American growth initiatives. George Kingman is the Founder of Advanced Shop Leadership, a group of consultants focused on improving financials, team culture, training...

Randy O'Connor is the Owner of Dealer to Dealer (D2D) Development Group, which offers financial and operational consulting for the independent tire and auto service market in North America. The company's primary offering is a business growth strategy rooted in peer-to-peer networks, specifically the 20 Group format. Randy's strength lies in strategic analysis and process improvement. Drawing from...

Michael Chung is the Senior Director of Market Intelligence at Auto Care Association, where he spearheads market research initiatives for the automotive aftermarket sector. He plays a pivotal role in keeping industry members informed about market trends, primarily through monthly content, the promotion of a comprehensive industry data platform, and the publication of an annual factbook. Before joi...

Cody Lang is Vice President of Sales at Tire Solutions. He embarked on his journey in the tire industry from a young age, inspired by his father's passion for the trade. From playful childhood memories of "playing tire store" with Matchbox cars to overcoming challenges as a young salesperson in a seasoned industry, Cody’s dedication is evident. His proudest achievement is contributing to the growt...

Giorgio Andonian is the Managing Director at FOCUS Investment Banking. Since joining the company in 2019, he has been instrumental in guiding mergers, acquisitions, recapitalizations, and capital raises for middle-market businesses in the Consumer and Automotive Aftermarket sectors. Prior to FOCUS, Giorgio served as vice president of 55 Inc. in Southern California and has held other roles in the t...

Don Detore is the Editor of Tire Business , an industry trade magazine published by Crain Communications. Before this, he began his tenure at Rubber & Plastics News in March 2013 as a copy editor and was later promoted to managing editor. With over 35 years in journalism, Don has held significant roles at The Repository in Canton, including sports editor, managing editor, and executive editor....

Frank Frattale is the Director of Sales at Trimax Tire-Maxon International. With a rich history in the automotive industry, Frank has honed his skills in management, account management, sales, strategic planning, and business development. He is an accomplished sales professional, having previously worked for Fury Tires, NAMA Tires Inc. and NEXEN TIRE. In this episode… How do you build long-term pa...

Scott Weeden is the Vice President of Sales at Barnwell House of Tires. With over two decades in the trucking industry, he previously managed his own freight company and oversaw the New York City market for a commercial tire manufacturer. In his position at Barnwell, Scott has cultivated a team of 22 sales representatives, leading to a 60% increase in revenue. Additionally, he serves on the Tire I...

Neal Maier and David Christopher are Co-founders of Tread Partners, a digital marketing agency focused on using SEO, marketing, and branding to help tire companies and auto-repair shops grow and thrive. Neal was previously a Partner at 3VE and COO of TexTivia, which rebranded into 3VE. He has worked for multiple automotive companies such as Autoshop Solutions and Auto Pro To Call. David was previo...

George Silagadze is the Vice President  of TireConnect, a company that has revolutionized the way tires are sold. He founded the company in 2013 and it was acquired by Bridgestone in 2015. George has worked with Bridgestone to transform the tire sales landscape, revolutionizing the practice through direct referrals and online platforms. In this episode… The true definition of entrepreneurship is t...

JP Gallagher is the President of Gallagher Tire, a leading specialty tire wholesaler based in the US. Assuming leadership in 2003, JP has expertly guided the company's expansion, establishing warehouses in Southeastern Pennsylvania and Upstate New York and launching online consumer tire sales website Tires4That.com in 2017. Drawing from his vast experience at the forefront of a family business, he...

Bill Bainbridge retired in March 2023 after more than 45 years in the tire industry. Bill was Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for CJ’s Tire and Automotive, where he helped grow the brand from 11 to 17 locations. His journey in marketing, communications, and sales involved nearly every area of the tire business from retail to wholesale. During his career, Bill established a tra...

John Repp is Sales Manager for Dunlap & Kyle Co., one of the leading tire distributors in the nation. John got his long-sought start in the automotive industry by taking a job at a National Tire Wholesale in Nashville, TN while working a second job to make ends meet. He worked several roles with Bridgestone for nearly 20 years before joining Dunlap & Kyle. In this episode… What’s the secre...

Chris Lawson is the Founder of Technician Find, which helps independent automotive and diesel repair shops use creative ads and social media marketing to find good techs faster. He is also a digital marketing strategist with Astute Social Media and host of the Technician Find Office Hours podcast. Chris launched Technician Find in 2017 after he was asked to give a social media presentation for ten...

Lance Bullock is President of OE Wheels, where he has worked since early 2006. He has used his background in finance and operations to contribute to the overall modernization, direction, and growth of the company. Under Lance’s leadership, OE Wheels has grown to become the largest independent replica wheel distributor in North America and is the parent company to 4Play Wheels and Defiant Wheels. I...

Mason Hess is the Director of Global Mining Division at Purcell Tire and an Executive Board Member and past President of the Tire Industry Association. He is a third-generation “tire guy” whose grandfather ran an independent tire store and whose father worked in the tire industry for decades. Mason began working full-time in the tire industry in 1995, joining D&D Tire in 2007 before it was pur...

Roy Littlefield retired as CEO of the Tire Industry Association in late 2021. He began working there in 2002, and his tire industry career spans over 50 years. As CEO, he grew TIA’s membership from 2,700 to 13,000. He started his career in 1975, volunteering for Sen. Thomas McIntyre, D-NH, and worked for Sen. Barry Goldwater, R-CA, a few years later. His experience in politics taught him the impor...

Dave Vogel is General Manager at ASA Automotive Systems, where he leads all business operations. He has worked for over two decades, previously serving as Executive Vice President and Vice President of Sales. Immediately after graduating from Boise State University in 1983, Dave started his career with Goodyear Tires and worked his way from the ground up. In this episode… Consumer behavior and inc...

Tom Diaz is the Coordinating Producer at Bright Bay Creative, where he contributes to the production of Netflix automotive TV shows. His first experience in the automotive industry was as a co-owner of a muffler shop in 1992. Despite not knowing what a muffler or catalytic converter were — or how to run a business — Tom’s passion for cars helped him to learn quickly. He found his muffler-related n...

Jason Rook is the President and CEO of Independent Tire Dealers Group, where he leads a network of 1,000 independent tire dealer locations across the U.S. Jason specializes in strategic planning, business development, customer relations, and team building. His mission is to provide independent tire dealers with the best products, services, and resources available, while striving to foster a collab...

Robert “Sonny” McDonald is the Senior National Training Manager for Toyo Tires Corp USA. He started his sales career in the tire industry as a representative for The Tire Rack, where he worked for over a decade, and has been in his current position for more than 20 years. Sonny has also served as an aircraft maintenance specialist in the US Air Force. In this episode… As anyone who works in the ti...

Ron Dolan is President at Sailun Tire North America. He has a demonstrated history working in the automotive industry with developed skills in negotiation, budgeting, business planning, and sales. Sailun Tires are exclusively distributed by TBC Brands in the US and sells over 30 million tires annually in more than 50 countries worldwide. Ron came to Sailun from Dynamic Tire Corp, where he worked f...