Loren J. Forney



P.O. Box 718
Basye, VA 22810-0718
540-856-3398/540-856-3396 fax
tcsinc@shentel.net

Guest Book

Director of Research and Testing(R.R.A. Inc. and McLean Test Center, Inc.)
Major areas of responsibilities:

1. My experience with the first General Services Administration (GSA) test in Texas enabled RRA to perform the second the second GSA test in McLean, Virginia in 1968; subsequently, the third GSA test in 1970. Each test included passenger tires, small commercial truck tires and large tractor-trailer tires from all the tire manufacturers in the USA. Total test tire miles for both tests-over 10 million miles. Actually drove the vehicles for thousands of miles as convoy Leader.
2. During 1969 RRA performed a production heavy vehicle qualifications test for the Kaiser Jeep Corporation. The Half million mile test included all engineering aspects of the vehicles except the diesel engines. Tire tests were also Performed along with the original test.
3. Concurrently, the minor areas of responsibility were in: the completion of a 15 passenger vehicle tire industry audit analysis test, a qualification passenger tire test for the State of West Virginia, the completion of various other new tire and retread tire tests; the processing of tire failure cases for the legal profession, the completion of a Department Of Transportation Repair Methods and Repair Materials Contract for passenger tires and tubes.
4. Directly involved in the installation and mechanical aspects of three, four position indoor tire test machines for McLean Test Center. The installation involved equipment valued at well over three quarters of a million dollars.
5. Directly responsible for the development of a radically new passenger tire. Test tires were actually built by a tire Manufacturer and a cord manufacturer.
6. During Fall of 1970 and early Spring of 1971 was directly responsible for the disassembly and reassembly of a 12,000 sq. ft. steel Butler building. Included was actual participation in stell work, welding, crane erection work, grading with heavy Caterpillar equipment, and direction of all personnel.

Vice President and General Manager (3-T-Fleet, Inc.)
Duties consisted of management and engineering involved in operating a fleet of vehicles for tire testing, including initiating test programs, training personnel, supervising tests, supervising necessary vehicular maintenance and operations, evaluating test results and preparing interim and final reports. Was responsible for the major part of the 1967 GSA qualification test As well as hundreds of statistically designed screening wear tests on tread rubber for domestic and foreign tread rubber manufacturers.

Research Engineer and General Manager (Pontiac Retread Co.)
Duties included rejuvenation of this large retreading plant; purchase of new equipment; supervising installation and plant layout; developing new work procedures; quality control and plant maintenance. Concurrently dealt with control of the plant in production and directed marketing operations, including training of salesmen and actual selling to customers as well as periodic surveillance of the products in service and adjustments procedures and policy.

Tire Engineering Consultant (Consulting Firm)
Duties consisted of detailed examination and evaluation of tires, inner tubes, flaps and rims to evaluate factors causing tire failures. Also involved forensic practice as qualified expert witness in litigation pertaining to tire and rim failures.

Assistant Research Director (Tyrex, Inc.)
Duties were to set up, direct and evaluate field tests on all types of tires on trucks and passenger vehicles throughout the United States and Canada. The work entailed numerous conferences with customers, speaking engagements and acting as a company representative at tire industry meetings and conventions.

Technical Assistant to Executive Vice President and Secretary (T&RA)
Duties included direction of committee work on tires, rims, inner tubes, flaps and valves for all types of tires; quality control surveillance of all types of rims manufactured by T&RA licensees, assisted in compiling the annual T&RA Year Book and in initiating and maintaining detailed specifications for test equipment used to check rims.

Tire Design Engineer (Firestone Tire & Rubber Co.)
After completion of a comprehensive tire engineer training program, duties were: tire engineering, new tire designs and specification, supervisory follow through on development of tires and production procedures, review of quality control programs, direction of tire testing projects and field service activities. Represented Firestone at Technical

Advisory and Standard Subcommittee Meeting of Tire and Rim Association 1958-60. Chairman of both groups 1958-59.

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