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January 22, 2010 - TireReview.com: "Lawmakers Seek Study of Tire Tariff Effects"
November 24, 2009 - TireReview.com: "Break Out the Bubbly - We're Building Tire Plants!"
September 11, 2009
- Washington, DC. President Obama announced that he will impose tariffs on imports of Chinese-made passenger and light truck tires. The U.S will levy a tariff that will amount to 35 percent the first year, 30 percent the second and 25 percent the third. According to Roy Bromfield, Q Tires’ CEO, “The Chinese tire industry is outraged, as are tire distributors and retailers in the USA. Consumers in the “economy” tire-buying tier (those who can least afford to pay more) will feel the greatest impact of this action through higher retail prices. Moreover there will be a huge disruption in supply chains and strategies for tire distributors and retailers who have long-established private brand and third tier tire contracts and arrangements. We are very disappointed in what appears to be a politically motivated move by the President to appease organized labor. Unfortunately, no U.S. tire production plants will open and no new jobs will be created in the tire industry as a result of this action." The tire tariff takes effect Sept. 26 2009. “The tariff will impact Q Tires’ strategic sourcing and operations, but we are confident in alternate solutions available to us,” said Mr. Bromfield.
PRO: "Whitehouse fulfilling trade enforcement"
CON: "The Cost of a Presidential Cave-In"
September 4, 2009 – Bowie, MD. Roy Bromfield, CEO of Q Tires, Inc. is re-elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the Tire Industry Association. TIA is an international association representing all segments of the tire industry, including those that manufacture, repair, recycle, sell, service or use new or retreaded tires, and also those suppliers who furnish equipment, material or services to the industry. The association's main office is in Bowie, Maryland, and has over 6,000 current members.
March 24, 2009 – Washington, DC. Gary Locke, former member of Q Tires’ Board of Advisors is confirmed by the United States Senate by unanimous consent as United States Secretary of Commerce. Secretary Locke, 21st Governor of Washington, serving from 1997 to 2005 was the first, and remains the only Chinese American to serve as governor of a state in United States history. Mr. Locke resigned his post on Q Tires’ Board of Advisors when he was nominated by the President for the cabinet position.
February 15, 2009 - WorldNews.com: "More snow on the way amid salt crisis"
January 4, 2009 - CBS News: "Snow storm blankets Washington state"
November 4, 2008 - Tekniikan Maailma Article: "Q Tires Celsius -piilonastarengas - Nastat nappia painaen" (View PDF) 
October 24, 2008 - The Washington Times Article: "Retractable tire studs easier on roads"
September 18, 2008 - Akron, OH. Q Tires was invited to present at the illustrious International Tire Exhibition and Conference (ITEC).
This is one of the premier technical conferences in the tire industry, where the best and brightest in the tire industry come from around the world to present. Q's Don Lee, Director of Tire Engineering and Design, presented an introduction to QTI's "Studs on Q" technology, the company's vision, market potential and ended with a lengthy Q&A session.
"The crowd was very curious about our revolutionary technology and the company's vision for future innovation", said Mr. Lee. "Overall the conference was very successful for Q and solidified us as an industry innovator".
September 4, 2008 - Greenville, SC. Q Tires Inc., has signed a cooperation framework agreement with a distinguished international company for product, process and information technology advancements as it relates to the ongoing development of the Q tire. QTI gains a high-technology strategic relationship with a leader in global tire manufacturing processes, information systems, equipment and R&D. Moreover the relationship provides Q Tires with supply sources for manufacturing equipment, semi-finished and finished products.
August 1, 2008 - California's Gov. Schwarzenegger signs Assembly Bill
1971 into law. AB 1971 allows the use of deployable studded tires not
only during the traditional studded tire period of November 1 to April
30 of each year, but now states that a vehicle may be equipped
year-round with tires that have studs that retract pneumatically or
mechanically when not in use, if the studs are retracted between May 1
and October 31 of each year.
This law will take effect January 1, 2009. (View PDF)
July 10, 2008 - Greenville, SC. Q Tires Inc., creates a strong diverse Board of Advisors. QTI carefully selected a team of industry veterans with experience in tire retailing, strategic marketing, venture capitol, legislative, executive management and operations that will be an asset to its management team and a great resource for QTI’s future success. The members of this board are:
• RICH PRIDAY, Advisor-Tire Retailing
• ARNOLD ZIMMERMAN, Advisor-Consumer Marketing
• SCOTT SOUTH, Advisor-Serial Entrepreneur
• KEN THRASHER, Advisor-Retailing & Automotive Dealerships
• GARY LOCKE, Advisor-China Business, Political & Legal
(View PDF for Bio's)
April 7, 2008 - cyberpresse.ca Article: "Q-Tire: La solution à l'hiver?"
April 1, 2008 - Motortrend Article: "New tires with retractable studs may be coming this year"
March 31, 2008 - Boston Globe Article: "Retractable stud winter tires on the way"
March 31, 2008 - Seattle Times, Nation and World Article: "Retractable studded tires set to roll"
March 31, 2008 - Kicking Tires Article: "Retractable Stud Winter Tires on the Way"
March 30, 2008 - ABC News Article: "New Snow Tires Protect Drivers, Roadways"
March 30, 2008 - Herald Tribune Article: "Company tests new retractable-stud snow tires to offer safe driving without roadway damage"
March 30, 2008 - MSNBC Article: "Got snow? Try retractable-stud snow tires"
March 30, 2008 - Forbes Article: "New snow tires protect drivers, roadways"
February 27, 2008 - Maine Sunday Telegram Article: "Tire with retractable studs gains support"
February 26, 2008 - Fosters Article: "Panel reviews bill to allow retractable studded snow tires in Maine"
January 15, 2008 - Qingdao, China. Mr. Freddy Geeraerds joins Q Tires as the Company’s Vice President of Operations and President of its Chinese joint venture, QRT (Qingdao) Tire Technology Company, Ltd. He brings with him extensive background in business management, supply chain and manufacturing operations with General Motors (Belgium and China), Delphi China, Delphi Europe, Sanford (Newell Rubbermaid) and Faiveley China. During his 22 year career, 9 years have been in the People’s Republic of China with subsidiaries and joint ventures of global firms. He not only has the technical experience with industrial engineering, lean manufacturing, production management, purchasing, supply chain, QS9000, Kaizan, Six Sigma, and people systems and training, but has vast cultural and business experience in China dealing with joint ventures, start-ups and turn-arounds. Mr. Geeraerds speaks 5 languages, holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electro-Mechanics from Antwerp Industrial Engineering University and a Master of Business Administration Antwerp Business School / Kellogg Northwest. He and his family will reside in Qingdao, China.
January 2, 2008 - Greenville, South Carolina. Theophile Louchart joins Q Tires in January 2008 as Development and Training Manager and R&D Facility Manager. Theophile Louchart is a veteran of over 22 years of service, as a naval engineer, where he received numerous accolades and awards for his engineering ability. During his military career Mr. Louchart obtained the coveted designation as a Master Training Specialist. After retirement from the Navy he joined Michelin North America, as an engineer, and has 4 U.S. patents relating to tire manufacturing equipment. Currently he has 3 patent applications, on file, with the U.S. Patent office. With a lifetime of motor racing experience, most recently as an Engineer in the NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES, his theories on tire selection and application have been adopted by numerous teams in NASCAR. Mr. Louchart received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Old Dominion University in Norfolk VA.
January 1, 2008 - Spokesman Review Article: "Whatever happened to retractable studs? Maybe next winter"
December, 2007 - Tire Review Magazine Article: "All Cued Up"
December, 2007 - Rubber Asia Magazine Article: "All season studded tyres from Q Tires" (PDF)
November 14, 2007 - VG Nett Article: "Skru pa piggdekket- med fjernkontrollen" 
November 5, 2007 - NBC-WYFF News, "Money Matters: Q Tires Receives Grant from SC Launch." Watch Video
October 10, 2007 - Greenville, South Carolina. Q Tires has been accepted as a Portfolio Company by SC Launch!, an SCRA collaboration. SC Launch! is an organization that works to facilitate applied research, product development and commercialization programs, strengthening South Carolina’s Knowledge Economy. During ceremonies held at Q Tires’ headquarters in Greenville SC, SC Launch! presented Q with an investment check for $200,000. The SC Launch! investment further solidifies Q Tires’ position as the best-funded Upstate South Carolina start-up in recent years.
“The investment by SC Launch! represents strong validation of Q Tires as a Knowledge Economy company in South Carolina and on a global plane,” Roy Bromfield, president and CEO of Q Tires, Inc., said. “SC Launch! joins a select group of financial supporters of Q Tires who have invested in the quality of our innovation and ingenuity and who have thus far contributed $8 million to our development.”
October 8, 2007 - Greenville, South Carolina. Sean Chariker joins Q Tires in October 2007 as Director of Marketing. Mr. Chariker has 17 years of experience working in retail marketing, channel management, marketing program development & implementation, media relations, package / product design, brand positioning & development and managing creative teams. His marketing experiences have spanned a wide variety of companies and brands, to include, Apple iTunes retail, Playphone, TruCall Solutions, USCarrier Telecom, INComm, and Compack Design and his own marketing consulting firm. He has significant experience and success moving early phase companies and their new products to market. Mr. Chariker is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and holds a BA degree in Graphic Communications.
September 4, 2007 - Greenville, South Carolina. Dong Lee joins Q Tires in September 2007 as Director of Tire Engineering & Design. Mr. Lee started his professional career with Hankook Tire's Research & Development Technical Center in South Korea. He worked as a Truck/Bus Radial (TBR) Tire Development Engineer for 6 years in tire design (pattern, profile, construction, & manufacturing specifications) and monitored the manufacturing and in-service performance for improvement opportunities. His leadership on projects implementing Computational Method & Finite Element Analysis ("FEA") to actual tire designs enabled the company to use FEA as a regular design tool thus helping to shorten the company's tire development period. In 1998, he moved to Hankook’s Akron, Ohio Technical Center as the R&D Center representative for Tire Design and focused on Light Truck Radial (LTR) products. Since then, he has been responsible for tire development projects on replacement TBR, original equipment & replacement LTR and passenger car radial tires for the US, Europe and Asian markets. Mr. Lee has worked extensively with China organizations in tire design, manufacturing and engineering.
August 20, 2007 - Portland, Oregon. The Chinese ambassador to the United States, Zhou Wenzhong, joined Q Tires executives in Portland, Oregon, to see a preview of the Q Tires, the revolutionary all-year tire with retractable studs for safe winter driving. The Portland brunch offered the opportunity for ambassador Zhou to endorse international collaboration in manufacturing like the one his country has with Q Tires. Ambassador Zhou is one of the many fans of Q technology, as discussed in this article in The Oregonian in Portland. The article provides an overview of this revolutionary tire, its invention, its operations, and its impact on the tire industry. See Envoy Sees Traction for New Tire, Relations (Reprinted by Permission of The Oregonian, 2007)
June 13, 2007 – Salem, Oregon. Governor Ted Kulongoski signed House Bill 2567 in Oregon amending statutes relating to tires with retractable studs. The act specifically exempts retractable studded tires from the restrictions on the use of metal objects on tires (ORS 815.160). It includes the definition of the new term “retractable studded tires” and allows this type of tire to be used as traction tires under the rules. It also allows a tire dealer to sell a tire equipped with studs that are not lightweight studs if the studs are retractable. The bill passed the Oregon House and Oregon Senate on unanimous votes.
June 2, 2007 – Carson City, Nevada. Governor Jim Gibbons signed Assembly Bill 493 in Nevada to add an additional exception to allow pneumatic tires with metal-type studs which are retractable to be used at any time of the year so long as the studs are engaged or extended only between October 1 and April 30. The bill passed the Nevada Assembly and Nevada Senate on unanimous votes.
May 16, 2007 -- Greenville, South Carolina. George Derdziak joins Q Tires in May 2007 as Director of Quality and Training. Mr. Derdziak has 31 years of experience in QA/QC at the operational and research and development level with Michelin Tire Corporation, Michelin Technical Support Services, Michelin Mold Manufacturing, Michelin Aircraft Tires, and Michelin Retread Technologies. As the Director of Quality/Training of Michelin Retread Technologies, Mr. Derdziak and his team members successfully brought on line over 50 new retread plants in the US, Canada and Mexico. He had direct roles in implementation of international and Michelin quality assurance systems, team building, training, safety and environmental compliance, and supplier quality assurance & development. As the project manager he led an international team in the successful startup of a mold manufacturing plant in Poland. Before joining Michelin, Mr. Derdziak worked with Boeing and Lockheed Aircraft Corporations on both commercial and military aircraft in their experimental engineering support groups.
May 15, 2007 -- Greenville, South Carolina. Q Tires selected to receive $200,000 funding by SC Launch! -- a collaboration between SCRA -- a technology R&D program management company -- and South Carolina's research universities. www.sclaunch.org
April 20, 2007 -- Olympia, Washington. Governor Christine Gregoire signs SENATE BILL NO. 5206 enacted by the Legislature of the State of Washington that states "A vehicle may be equipped year-round with tires that have retractable studs if: (a) The studs retract pneumatically or mechanically to below the wear bar of the tire when not in use; and (b) the retractable studs are engaged only between November 1st and April 1st."
March 30, 2007 -- Helena, Montana. Governor Brian Schweitzer signs SENATE BILL NO. 237 enacted by the Legislature of the State of Montana that "Pneumatic tires that feature an embedded block, stud, flange, cleat, spike, or other protuberance that is retractable may be used at any time of the year."
March 20, 2007 -- Boise, Idaho. Governor Butch Otter signed a bill into law amending Section 49-948, Idaho Code to provide for year-round use of tires equipped with retractable studs.
March 15, 2007 -- Gizmag Article: "New Tire with Retractable Studs"
February 26, 2007 -- Greenville, South Carolina. Vick Crowley joins Q Tires in February 2007 as Vice President of Finance and Administration. Prior to that he served as the Director of Finance and Treasurer for Safety Components International, Inc., a publicly-traded automotive airbag supplier with operations in North America, Europe, China, and South Africa. While at Safety Components, he also spent time living in Germany while he led the overall finance organization for the $125 million European division. Prior to his employment at Safety Components, he was the Assistant Treasurer with Emergent Group, Inc., a diversified financial services company located in Greenville, SC. Prior to his tenure at Emergent Group, he served as a commercial loan officer with First American Bank, N.A. in Washington, D.C. Mr. Crowley is a graduate of The University of the South and has an MBA in Finance from Emory University.
January 25, 2007 -- Akron, Ohio. Q Tires attains USDOT FMVSS 139 certification for its latest model Q product, a significant milestone in the company's goal to have product to market for the winter season 2007-2008. The DOT 139 protocol, which becomes mandatory starting in June 2007, tests endurance, high speed, low pressure & measurement.
January 18, 2007 -- Qingdao, China. Q Tires executives participate in the Ground Breaking ceremony held in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China, for the company's joint venture assembly plant. The 77,500 sq ft facility, the first phase of Q Tire's China project, will be established in the Qingdao Export Processing Zone on a property spanning 5.3 acres. The facility is scheduled to be completed in early June 2007.
November 25, 2006 -- Greenville, South Carolina. Q Tires selects Elliott Davis, LLC as its accounting, tax, bookkeeping and business advisory firm. Elliott Davis, based in Greenville, SC is the largest South Carolina based accounting firm with seven offices and specializes in middle market and emerging companies.
October 28, 2006 -- Portland, Oregon. Q Tires publicly displays Q Tires products with driver controlled remote activation devices for first time! The company unveiled its products at the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) convention held in Portland. The show was attended by DOT officials from throughout the country as well as by U.S Secretary of Transportation, the Honorable Mary E. Peters. Q Tire's message to the delegates was improved highway safety, prevention on damage to roadways and protection of the environment. "The Q Tires booth was clearly the envy of the trade show and we are very encouraged by the contacts made with officials at the show and their receptivity to the Q Tires product," said QTI Public Policy Consultant, Bruce Starr, State Senator from Oregon who led the Q Tire efforts in the booth with QTI founder and Director, John Michael O'Brien.
October 15, 2006 -- Greenville, South Carolina. Q Tires, Inc. opens corporate office at 250 Commonwealth Drive, Greenville, SC. The site in Greenville was selected for its proximity to automotive and tire industry intellectual resources and the office suite will house the initial executives and staff being brought on to bring Q technology to market.
September 14, 2006 -- Qingdao, China. Q Tires CEO, Roy Bromfield, signs land and building agreement with Chinese joint venture partner, Ping Wei and real estate developer Hai Hong Tao to begin construction process of the assembly plant in the Qingdao Export Processing Zone.
August 15, 2006 -- Akron, Ohio. Q Tires Akron R&D Center receives its first shipment of production cores from partner supplier, Yellow Sea Tire. This product will be used for finalization of technical and process specifications, DOT certification and other laboratory and road testing.
August 1, 2006 -- Akron, Ohio. Q Tires opens R&D Center in Barberton, Ohio. The facility will allow the company to continue technological developments and to finalize all assembly processes and procedures for knowledge transfer to its China's operations.
July 28, 2006 -- Qingdao, China. Q Tires and R&T International choose the Qingdao Export Processing Zone (QEPZ) as the site for construction of the Joint Venture's assembly plant. The site is an ultra-modern industrial zone providing economic, tax and manufacturing benefits to the venture. The QEPZ is located but 25 minutes from Yellow Sea Tires manufacturing plant and 25 minutes to the Port of Qingdao, one of China's leading container ports.
July 1, 2006 -- Lake Oswego, Oregon. Alan J. Resnik, elected Q Tires Chairman of the Board. Dr. Resnik, previously a Board Director, is President and Founder of Market Insights, Inc., a twenty-seven-year-old Portland-based consulting firm. He currently serves on the Boards of Atlas Pacific Corporation and Remtech USA. Alan has been a Professor of Marketing for twenty nine years at Portland State University and is a member of the graduate faculty. He resides in Portland, Oregon.
June 27, 2006 -- Qingdao, China. Joint Venture signs long term supply agreement with Yellow Sea Tire (Qingdao Huanghai Group Company Limited). Yellow Sea Tire, one of China's leading tire manufacturers will produce for Q Tires the core product upon which the proprietary Q Tire technology will be assembled.
June 25, 2006 -- Qingdao, China. RPM Joint Venture agreement signed between Q Tires, Inc and R&T International of the PRC. QTI Founder and Chairman John Michael O'Brien and CEO Roy Bromfield executed the JV documents at a dinner signing ceremony at the Shangri-la Hotel attended by various local governmental, economic and industry executives. Mr. Ping Wei, CEO of R&T signed on behalf of his company, along with Mr. Jin Lan, Principal of Octaxias, LLC, QTI's China consulting arm.
May 15, 2006 -- Lake Oswego, Oregon. Q Tires announces new CEO, Roy Bromfield. Mr. Bromfield joins QTI after a 21 year career with Michelin. He is the former CEO of TCI Tire Centers, a $600 million subsidiary of Michelin specializing in sales and distribution activities and light manufacturing. Prior to that, he was Vice President of North American Marketing & Sales for a $1 billion division of Michelin. Mr. Bromfield resides in Greenville, SC.
February 8, 2005 -- Lake Oswego, Oregon. Q Tires, Inc. (TM) announced today that its Q tire passed the FMVSS 109 Endurance test mandated by the US Department of Transportation. Passing the FMVSS 109 Endurance test marks a significant milestone in the development the company products.
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