Titan Announces Retirement of COO

Titan International has announced Ernest Rodia will retire as the company’s chief operating officer on October 31, 2008. Rodia came to Titan in 2005 after a 37-year career with Goodyear Tire and Rubber, where he retired as vice president of global engineering and manufacturing technology.

“Ernie led Titan’s team on the development of our super giant radial tyres. This project was an unbelievable task that was completed in record time,” said Titan chairman and CEO Maurice M. Taylor Jr. “Fortunately, he will stay on with Titan as a consultant as we go forward. Production has begun on the super giant tyres, so now Ernie can move into a supervisory role and be available to work with me on new special projects.

“I have personally enjoyed his excitement in this entrepreneurial environment. If I was working on the project for 16 hours, Ernie was right there with me,” Taylor added. “I also believe we made him a little bit younger these past three years, and he’s trained a great group of young engineers to continue the development of new tyres.”