Cliff Hodges joins Smithers as technical director for North America

Akron, OH – Smithers announces that Cliff Hodges has joined Smithers as Technical Director of the Tire & Wheel Test Center in Ravenna, Ohio.
Hodges will direct the technical and quality requirements for the Smithers force and moment testing, tire modeling, and other special tire characterizations and evaluation methods. He will also manage and advise technical staff and technical decision-making.
Before joining Smithers, Hodges most recently served as a Technical Specialist at the Global Center for Automotive Performance Simulation (GCAPS). He has also held roles in management and test engineering.
“Cliff has hands-on technical engineering experience, as well as strong business acumen,” said Matt Kent, General Manager, Smithers Tire & Wheel Test Center. “His unique blend of technical and leadership experience will be a tremendous asset as we continuously strive to expand and enhance our service offerings to support our valued clients in the tire and wheel industry.”
Hodges earned his Bachelor of Science from Averett University and has authored papers on tire model selection, vehicle dynamics, and indoor wet traction.
The Smithers Tire & Wheel Test Center offers a broad range of testing services for measuring performance, durability, and other characteristics of passenger car, light truck, agricultural, fleet truck, off-the-road (OTR), and specialty tires. Smithers also has tire testing laboratories in China and the United Kingdom, providing testing services and accurate data on a global scale.