Boulder City, Nevada - Amerityre has announced that validation trials on its 2500-pound-per-minute polyurethane pour machine in the UK are now completed. The machine was commissioned for Chinese licensee Qingdao Qizhou Rubber Co. Ltd., which will use it for production of large off-the-road retread tires at its plant in Shandong Province, China. Separately, the company has announced that Gary Benninger, chief operating officer of Amerityre Corp., has been appointed as president of the company, effective immediately. Benninger will also assume the title of ceo on 1 September.Benninger will succeed Richard Steinke as ceo. Steinke announced earlier this year that he intends to resign 1 October. Steinke, who also serves as chairman, founded Amerityre in 1995 as a firm dedicated to developing the use of polyurethane in tires and other products.After 1 September, Mr. Steinke will serve as a full-time technology consultant to the company. The board will select a new chairman after the annual meeting in December.Benninger has served as the firm's chief operating officer since October 2005."