As of Jan 1, 2021, Alliance Tire Group and Alliance Tire Americas, Inc. changed their names to Yokohama Off-Highway Tires and Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America, Inc respectively. The Alliance, Galaxy and Primex brands and product names remain unchanged. Product information is available at www.yokohama-oht.com.

Alliance Tire Americas executives say they can see into the future of the tire industry, and they say it looks bright indeed. In fact, they say it looks a lot like Kevan Chaudry and Sumitha Kamireddy, two Northeastern University students who currently serve in Alliance Tire’s internship program.

“It is remarkable and heartening to see the great talent and energy of students who participate in our internship,” says Jim Clark, president of Alliance Tire Americas. “Sumitha and Kev bring their intelligence, curiosity and ambition to the team, contributing greatly to our Supply Chain Management group. In addition to giving them practical, real-world experience, we hope we are introducing them to an industry in which they can build interesting and successful careers.

“The internship program serves as the world’s best job interview,” Clark adds. “Our interns get to really know us and our culture, and to see the opportunities ahead of them here at Alliance. At the same time, we have the opportunity to see how they work and how they integrate into the team. It’s a true win-win, and it’s a key element of our growth strategy—finding and cultivating great, young talent.”

In fact, Alliance recently hired Devaiah Malchira, a new Supply Chain Analyst in the company’s Wakefield, Massachusetts, headquarters, after a six-month co-op education/work experience.

“Dev is on board, trained and ready to go,” Clark says. “His months of experience right here in the office eliminate the usual start-up period for new hires, and allow him to excel right out of the gate.”

Meanwhile, the current interns are sharpening their skills.

Chaudry, a New Jersey native in his third year at Northeastern, is using his internship to gain real-world experience as he pursues a Bachelor’s Degree in Supply Chain Management. He is responsible for daily reporting, logistics tracking and customs compliance, and is helping shift the department to a paperless filing system.

Kamireddy, a former software analyst who is now pursuing a Masters’ Degree in Supply Chain Management at Northeastern, handles logistics tracking, customs clearance documentation, OTW and FMS reports and the company’s V. Alexander electronic data interchange (EDI) system. A native of Hyderabad, India, Kamireddy moved to Boston to pursue her education.

Alliance Tire is always on the lookout for new interns. Applicants contact the company through their colleges’ career development offices, academic departments or directly by emailing HRjobs@atgtire.com.

Most of all, Clark says, developing a good internship program requires commitment from the company.

“The interns have to be challenged with real, meaningful work that enhances their educational experience and makes them part of the team,” he advises. “The days of interns making coffee and running the photocopier are over. We view them as emerging professionals. To help them see their career trajectory in the tire industry, the manager has to be willing to serve as teacher and mentor. There needs to be a competitive salary and/or credits through a college co-op program.

“When it comes down to it, an internship should be a great opportunity for the student and the company to show their best side,” Clark says. “There’s no room to come up short on it.”

After all, he adds, those interns represent the future of our industry.