NTB National Tire & Battery Announces Success of Dumped Tire Clean-Up
20 April 1998
NTB National Tire & Battery, Motor City Blight Busters and NRI Industries Remove More Than 15,000 Tires From Detroit CommunitiesInitiative continues April 30, National Playground Safety Day, with creation of basketball court made from recycled tire rubber DETROIT, April 20 -- More than 1,000 Detroit residents helped rid the area of more than 15,000 tires at the NTB Tire Sweep and Blight Flight held Saturday, April 18, at the Motor City Blight Busters (MCBB) resource center in northwest Detroit. "Thanks to the efforts of caring volunteers throughout the Detroit area, NTB and our partners were able to launch this milestone event, which helped to reduce the number of illegally dumped tires in our neighborhoods," said Wade Hopper, district manager for NTB's Detroit region. "By combining corporate resources with the coordinated strength of so many volunteers, we are able to clean up our communities and create a safer playground." John J. George, founder and executive director of Motor City Blight Busters, also attributed the success of the program to the strong level of cooperation by both the corporate and non-profit communities. "Without the support of the corporate community much of the tire sweep would not have been possible," George said. "We also thank the many volunteers who helped make this event one of the most successful tire sweeps ever." Scheduled for April 30, and designated National Playground Safety Day by the National Program for Playground Safety and the National SAFE KIDS campaign, part two of the pilot initiative focuses on bringing used tires back to benefit the community in the form of recycled rubber. Approximately 7,000 pounds of pea-sized ground rubber will be delivered by NRI Industries to Clarita Playfield, located at Clarita and Lahser streets in northwest Detroit. The grounded "crumb rubber" will be mixed with a urethane binder and applied to the park's basketball court surfaces to make play both safe and comfortable. "We are pleased to contribute to the community in such a unique and creative way," said Mike Schnekenburger, vice president of corporate development for NRI Industries. "We appreciate the work of both NTB and Motor City Blight Busters in partnering with us to help make this program a reality." An estimated 700 million to 850 million tires remain in stockpiles throughout the country, creating an environmental and safety hazard. Through this pilot initiative, NTB is planning to highlight an innovative use for recycled rubber. In addition to playgrounds, widespread applications of recycled rubber throughout the United States include: ramps for the disabled, running tracks, horse tracks, bike paths, roofing compounds, driveway sealants, truck bed liners, mail box posts, computer mouse pads, car parts, cow mats and hockey targets. The NTB National Tire & Battery division of Sears, Roebuck and Co. was launched in March 1997 when Sears announced that it was converting its 150 Tire America and 125 National Tire Warehouse (NTW) stores into one format, NTB. Throughout the summer, all 275 stores were converted to NTB and many new stores opened as well. NTB plans to open 70 new stores in 1998. All NTB stores carry national brand name and private label tires and custom wheels. Stores also sell batteries and related starting and charging accessories, including DieHard, the nation's most preferred battery. NTB stores offer ride-control services including brakes, shocks, struts, alignments and front-end repairs. Founded in 1988 with its mission and goal to stabilize and revitalize Detroit's long-forgotten neighborhoods, MCBB is now celebrating its 10th year of rejuvenating homes throughout northwest Detroit. MCBB has boarded up and secured more than 350 vacant and abandoned properties, renovated more than 140 homes now occupied by homeowners, demolished 66 properties by hand and built 42 new homes. Over the years, MCBB has also helped to remove trash and thousands of tires from numerous vacant lots throughout the city for recycling purposes. NRI Industries is a leading manufacturer of automotive parts and industrial products based on recycled rubber. The company is a Tier 1 supplier to Ford, General Motors, Chrysler and Nissan and includes Firestone, Navistar and Alcan among its industrial customers. The materials division consists of three tire recycling facilities that convert waste tires into valuable materials and compounds used in NRI Industries' manufacturing operations and sold to manufacturers. SOURCE NTB National Tire & Battery