Titan University Summit is 8 years strong, surpasses 7,000 students

DES MOINES, Iowa <February 2024> — Titan International Inc. (Titan) has successfully completed another year of its Titan University Summit, a one-of-a-kind sales training program designed specifically for tire dealers. In its eighth school year, the training platform surpassed a grand total of 7,000 graduated students.  

“We welcomed more first-time attendees this year than ever before — not only those who are new to Titan U but also those who are new to the industry. This tells me that, year after year, we’re providing a valuable service,” said Paul Hawkins, Sr VP of Aftermarket Sales at Titan. “No one has anything remotely like it and it’s an honor to have served more than 7,000 dealer students over the years.”  

Titan University Summit stands out from other training programs because of its unique approach. This year’s program included 20 classes, many of which were hands-on, along with keynotes from Matt White, Director of Tire Service at the Tire Industry Association (TIA), and Marty Morrow, Vice President of Compounding at Titan. Attendees were also invited to tour the Titan tire facility in Des Moines.  

The interactive classroom sessions covered a wide range of topics on both tires and wheels, including ag priority product lines, Low Sidewall Technology fitments, OTR selling strategies, safety overviews and market-specific updates in both Ag and OTR segments specific to each application and equipment type, as well as in-field and dealer counter sales training. The sessions were designed to be interactive, ensuring dealers gained valuable insights and practical knowledge. 

The keynote session kicked off by Matt White, followed by hands-on stations, which was an extension of the advanced tire service training Titan offered in July 2023, designed specifically to further improve safety and technical service knowledge in the tire industry. The keynote focused on both wheels and tires in Ag and OTR applications and brought in a range of expert partners including TIA, Stellar Industries, Fuller Brothers, AME International and Intercomp.
 
Jesse Wickel, owner of Wickel Tire Pros, confirmed the programming’s value, saying, “Information we’ve learned at Titan U has helped us on a day-to-day basis. Titan is a great partner that is focused on helping us better serve our individual markets.”  

“The emphasis and education on safety is off the charts,” said Harvey Stoner, sales manager at Graham Tire. “Titan continues to lead the industry in training for tire dealers — especially by partnering with TIA — helping ensure we are getting home safely each night.”  

"Our hope is that dealers leave Titan U trusting we have their back,” said Kim Boccardi, vice president of marketing at Titan. “We want to be accessible to our dealers and also ensure value for our end-user customers running our products — which is exactly why continued education will always be a priority for Titan.”  

Titan University Summit was held January 16 - 18 at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny, Iowa. Watch a highlight video of this year’s event. 
 
For more information, visit titan-intl.com.