Marangoni Tread North America recently hosted Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN), giving a presentation to promote the use of rereads as an economically and environmentally friendly alternative to cheap foreign tires.

Cooper represents Tennessee’s 5th district, which includes Nashville, not far from Marangoni’s headquarters in Madison, Tenn., where the retreader gave the presentation as part of its "Retread Instead" campaign.  

Bill Sweatman, president of Marangoni Tread North America, welcomed Congressman Cooper and gave the presentation. He expressed concern for the 60,000 jobs in the retreading and related industries that he said are threatened by a February International Trade Commission ruling not to impose tariffs on truck and bus tires produced in China.

Sweatman argued that low-quality tires represent a linear economy of manufacturing, use, and disposal that is neither economically sound nor environmentally responsible.

“The Retread Instead campaign is meant to further enhance the overall awareness of the benefits of retreading as a whole and we need to band together as an industry to combat the low-quality, non-retreadable tires,” said, Sweatman.

For more information on the Retread Instead campaign, click here.