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Background
Our factory, in continuous operations since 1968, has had two previous owners who
are both well known brands in the tire industry — Pirelli and Armstrong Tire and
Rubber Company. Armstrong Tire and Rubber Company constructed the facility in
Little Rock, AR primarily for production of inner tubes for the tire industry
as well as manufacturing of tire curing bladders for Armstrong internally.
The capability for production of tire assembly machine (TAM) parts was added in
1985. Pirelli (headquartered in Milan, Italy) in their acquisition of Armstong
Tire & Rubber in 1988, acquired not only the facility in Little Rock but also
other manufacturing facilities throughout the US. During the 1980s, inner tube
demand decreased and more emphasis was placed on expansion of curing bladder
sales to external customers.
A major event occurred in 1998 when Goodyear
decided to discontinue bladders operations at their facility in Gadsden, AL,
and outsource a significant portion of their bladder requirements. They selected
the location in Little Rock, AR due to their in-house expertise in assisting
the tire industry in their utilization of tire curing bladders.
In April of
1999 the plant discontinued inner tube production to concentrate on curing
bladder production along with the tire assembly machine parts and rubber compound.
Vernon Almon and Mark Nutt, TCB's owner/operators co-founded Tire Curing Bladders,
LLC for the purpose of acquiring the operations of Pirelli Special Products
Division in May of 2005 and have been successful in continuing the proud
tradition ofPirelli and Armstrong Tire. Vernon Almon was the factory's General
Manager for 10 years and Mark Nutt was a Consultant to Pirelli for 5 years prior
to their purchase of the plant.
Vernon Almon, COO, PE
Vernon Almon is a Registered Professional Engineer and has a diverse technical
and manufacturing background coupled with international sales experience. Mr.
Almon began as the General Manager for Pirelli Tire Special Products Division
in 1995 and completed a turn around at this division by transforming it from a
money losing inner tube manufacturing operation to the world's largest
independent, and profitable, tire curing bladder manufacturer.
In 1998, he
secured a major contract with Goodyear Tire & Rubber to supply curing bladders,
and then obtained the capital expenditure funding to convert the facility to
its present status as an international supplier of tire curing bladders. Mr.
Almon is now the Chief Operations Office at Tire Curing Bladders, LLC.
Prior to joining Pirelli, he was the General Manager of the ceramic
tile manufacturing operations for Color Tile, Inc. of Fort Worth, TX. He also served as operations manager before being promoted to General
Manager of the AMCO Division of Dynamics Corporation of America of Greenwich,
CT. Before his first major management position, he was a senior engineer at
several international engineering and manufacturing companies from 1966 to
1979. His experiences included work on the shop floor with hourly personnel
and on site visits to customer locations to trouble shoot problem areas for
these companies.
Mr. Almon graduated from MS State University in 1966 with a BS in engineering.
This technical degree was followed with an MBA from MS College in 1982.
Mark Nutt, CFO, CPA
Mark is a seasoned business executive with more than 30 years experience and is
also a certified public accountant. Mark co-founded Tire Curing Bladders, LLC
for the purpose of acquiring the assets and business operations of the Pirelli
Special Products Division located in Little Rock, AR to continue as a leading
manufacturer of tire curing bladders for the international tire industry.
He has functional experience in not only financial management but also in strategic
and tactical planning analysis as well as corporate transformation. He has
experience in the manufacturing, distribution, retail and hospitality industries
having previously held positions as Vice President, Treasurer and Controller for
nationally known organizations.
Prior to co-founding Tire Curing Bladders, LLC he was a full-time consultant to
Pirelli's Special Products Division for 5 years advising on turnaround and
profitability improvement strategies. While engaged by Pirelli he led several
key changes in the company's strategy and operations including dramatically
reducing overhead costs and executing an overall business transformation.
Previously, he was Vice President and Corporate Controller for Dallas-based
Metromedia Restaurant Group, which operates the Bennigan's, Steak and Ale and
Ponderosa brands.
Mark also served as a consultant to AlixPartners, the international corporate
turnaround, performance improvement and financial advisory firm as a turnaround
CFO on various engagements.
Prior to AlixPartners, Mark was Vice President and Treasurer of Color Tile Inc.
the nation's largest floor covering retailer. He also held financial positions
of increasing financial responsibility with Overhead Door Corporation and
Anheuser Busch, Inc. He began his career in public accounting.
TCB Today
Today, TCB is a fully-integrated operation in that it mixes compound, extrudes
rubber stock and cures bladders on site. With approximately 100 employees,
TCB is the single largest bladder manufacturer in the world. TCB has obtained
ISO9001-2000 Certification.
Today, TCB manufactures over 120 different sizes
of bladders within 15 separate tire categories ranging from industrial/small
farm/passenger tire to passenger/light truck to large truck to farm truck
vehicles.
TCB has an average monthly inventory of over 30,000 units and has
a current production volume of over 300,000 Units per year, representing close
to 10% of the Worldwide Market. The plant is located in Little Rock, AR and
continues to export their products worldwide.
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