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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) has honored three industry leaders with the Triangle Award, given to person, persons or organization whom MEMA and its divisions honor for selfless contribution to the vehicle supplier industry.This year's winners include James Kamsickas, chairman and chief executive officer, Dana Inc.; Mike Mansuetti, president, Robert Bosch L.L.C; and Don Walker, CEO, Magna International Inc. The awards were presented during the Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA) Automotive Supplier Conference on Nov. 11. "This year, as we faced unprecedented challenges, the presentation of the awards is even more meaningful," MEMA President & CEO Bill Long said. "All three of these leaders helped amplify the voice of vehicle suppliers on the national stage."The Triangle Award is not intended as an annual award according to Mr. Long said. "An award is presented only when a truly-deserving candidate advances the vehicle supplier industry," he said. "This year, three leaders really stood apart and earned this prestigious recognition.""The MEMA Triangle Award furthers the belief that many of the most important contributions to the industry are made by those who work quietly and effectively behind the scenes, out of the glare of public accolade, to advance the interests of the entire industry," MEMA Chairman Tim Musgrave said.Mr. Musgrave is president and CEO of Pressure Systems International. "This is our rare opportunity to publicly recognize that kind and level of selfless work." MEMA said the three men have "worked tirelessly and effectively to make the industry better and stronger, especially in the area of government advocacy. Because MEMA represents the largest sector of manufacturing jobs in the United States, our advocacy efforts are critical to the industry as well as the economic strength of the country. "Through their individual efforts, and by working closely with MEMA staff, these three individuals collectively helped shape vital language on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and were critical to the continued success of the industry."It also lauded each of the winner for their role in the restart of operations following the industry shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, "helping the industry rise to meet the health and safety demands of hundreds of thousands of workers in our industry." "Their vision and passion for the industry, coupled with their high sense of values and caring for their employees, truly exemplify the MEMA Triangle Award's mission of honoring selfless contributions to the vehicle supplier industry," Mr. Long said. "We are proud to add their names to the list of industry legends who have previously received the MEMA Triangle Award."Past recipients of the MEMA Triangle Award include the late Joseph M. Magliochetti of Dana Corp.; Tom Gallagher, of Genuine Parts Co.; L. Gene Stohler, of Masco Tech Inc.; John M. Riess (then of The Gates Rubber Co.); the late Larry McCurdy (then of Moog Automotive); and Jack Reilly (then of Tenneco Automotive). MEMA represents the interests of member companies through four market-focused divisions: Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA); Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association (HDMA); MERA — The Association for Sustainable Manufacturing; and Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA).

AKRON — As the year winds to a close, dealers throughout the U.S. find themselves coping with a growing dichotomy — rising consumer demand versus product shortages and looming price increases. According to nearly every market forecast, demand for tires and automotive services has stabilized and is on the rise again after the COVID-19 pandemic-induced collapse in the first half of the year. That recovering demand, coupled with the weeks-long shutdown of production at most North American tire factories, has created a shortage of product in most key categories, according to executives with Bridgestone Americas, Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. and Goodyear during recent conference calls. This article appears in the Nov. 23 print edition of Tire Business. In Cooper's third-quarter results call, President and CEO Brad Hughes put customers on notice they would be experiencing product shortages in the fourth quarter and potentially into the new year as Cooper struggled to rebuild inventories that had been drawn down because of production shutdowns in the first half of the year. Goodyear Chairman, President and CEO Richard Kramer echoed those views in Goodyear's third-quarter earnings call, saying demand was exceeding both Goodyear's and the industry's expectations. The company started ramping up production in the quarter to replenish depleted stocks, but the rising demand was outrunning that build. During Bridgestone's recent 2020 consumer business conference, company executives acknowledged their company was experiencing shortages as well, but that the company is tapping into its global production assets to bring in tires from Asia, Europe and Latin America to help rebuild inventories. In a call with Tire Business, Riccardo Cichi, president and chief sales officer, North America, for Bridgestone Americas, said his firm's research shows dealers are reporting 70% to 75% fill rates, down from the 90% most dealers had come to expect in recent years. Fill rates range from 50% to 90%, depending on the product category, he said. Bridgestone also is working with its dealers to use the full Bridgestone and Firestone portfolio to find substitutes where possible. In many cases, however, tire sizing in North America is distinct versus other regions, which makes it hard for U.S.-based manufacturers to source key SKUs, especially the larger rim-diameter SUV/CUV sizes, from overseas. This market anomaly may help explain why passenger and light truck tire imports from Mexico were up 27% and 39%, respectively, in the third quarter, according to Department of Commerce data. Light truck tire imports overall increased nearly 20%, the data show, while passenger tire imports were down 2% from the 2019 quarter. Mr. Cichi also acknowledged that Bridgestone and the industry in general experienced a "flight to value" in the second quarter, as customers who were buying shifted to lower-tier brands. The situation has since eased, he noted, but the major brand makers have to be diligent and work with their dealer networks to rebuild brand equity. Independent wholesalers contacted by Tire Business confirmed shortages across various sectors, with one saying "some domestic are still playing catch up but import products are rolling in pretty strong from all countries." One wholesaler noted that smaller distributors are feeling the supply/demand pinch more than larger ones, who have more product in inventory. In addition, the late onset of winter in most regions is alleviating pressure on the winter tire segment, another wholesaler said. One wholesaler said it expects the situation to worsen over the next several weeks, particularly in sectors where overseas manufacturers are active, including the specialty trailer segment. On the pricing front, entry-level product prices are rising in anticipation of the antidumping/countervailing-duty determination due before year-end on passenger and light truck imports from South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.