Matt Kent heading Smithers Tire & Wheel Test Center

Smithers has promoted Matt Kent to General Manager of the Smithers Tire & Wheel Test Center, a role in which he will lead the facility’s team in researching and developing new capabilities that align with the changing needs of Smithers’ clients in the tyre and wheel industry.

Kent first joined the testing, consulting, information and compliance services provider in 2017 as the Technical Director of the Smithers Tire & Wheel Test Center, where he focused on the Smithers force and moment (F&M) testing operations, staff management, and technical decision making. He has also managed the partnership between Smithers and six tyre manufacturers – Bridgestone Americas, Continental Tire, Cooper Tire & Rubber, Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Hankook Tire, and Michelin North America – that introduced a new MTS Flat Trac CT+ system and facility expansion to the Smithers Tire & Wheel Test Center in 2018.

“With his years of experience in the tyre industry and his deep expertise in testing and validation, Matt can offer unmatched support to our valued clients and shape the future of the Smithers Tire & Wheel Test Center based on their visions for the future of tyre development,” says Jim Popio, PhD, Vice President, Smithers Materials Science and Engineering Division.

Kent has over 23 years of experience in the tyre industry, in the areas of machine design, operation, and use, as well as management of capital-intensive assets and people. Before joining the team at Smithers, Kent spent 17 years in research and development at the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.