Larry
Career Highlights:
- Approaching 40 years of experience.
- Disciplines include Product Marketing and Market Intelligence.
- Career spans positions at Langston Laboratory, Missouri Chemical, and Michelin.
Bio
Larry has a unique 37-year history in the tire industry that spans leadership roles as a Chemist in Research & Development, Planning of New Innovations and Products, Product Marketing, and Market Intelligence and Business Analysis. Even before embarking on his career with Michelin, he attained a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Missouri and quickly established himself as Laboratory Manager of Langston Laboratory of Kansas City, Vice President of Langston Laboratory of Puerto Rico, and Lab Manager & Development Director of Missouri Chemical (Division of Farmland Industries).
Experience
His passion for tires began at the Michelin R&D facility in Greenville, SC, where after a year of technical training in France, he managed an effort to establish Michelin as the superior product in North America. While there, he was also responsible for the concept-to-launch of new innovations and products for Original Equipment and Replacement Market tires for passenger, light truck, and heavy truck vehicles.
The Michelin acquisition of BF Goodrich & Uniroyal in 1992 sparked another career path for Larry in Product Marketing and Market Intelligence. Over the past 22 years, he graduated to the Michelin expert on all things product technology and market diagnostics. Both internally and externally he consulted with North American and international employees and clients on:
- Tire knowledge
- Market characterization by product categories, consumer segments, and price tiers
- Strategies, opportunities, and recommended actions
- Link between Original Equipment and Replacement Markets
- Brand essence and competitor landscape
- Product screen optimization that maps retail business models to the national and local markets
- Provide product and market training designed to enlighten members of the tire industry
Larry has been recognized for his contributions by the Polaris and Marvel awards for excellence in Marketing, as well honored with Design School Instructor Awards. He holds two scientific patents and a marketing patent for the logic of the Tire Selector.
Specialization
- Retail Sales
- Operations Management