Skip to main content
EVENT TRACKER
Keep track of rescheduled, canceled industry events with our COVID-affected event tracker - Powered by Snap Finance
Close
Sister Publication Links
  • Rubber & Plastics News
  • European Rubber Journal
tb-logo
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • OPINION
    • CORONAVIRUS
    • AUTO INDUSTRY
    • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
    • COMMERCIAL TIRE
    • FACTORY FIXES
    • GOVERNMENT & LAW
    • INTERNATIONAL
    • MOTOR SPORTS
    • NEW PRODUCTS
    • RETAIL TIRES
    • SERVICE ZONE
    • SEMA/AAPEX
    • SMALL BUSINESS
    • TIRE MAKERS
    • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
      Vaccine may usher sense of normalcy
      Cover-up: More retailers requiring face masks to curb COVID
      USW alleges COVID-19 violations at Kumho plant
    • Johnson named president, managing partner of Arnold Motor Supply
      Conti starts production of ‘HL' load index tires for select OE customers
      GM banking on 'BrightDrop' EV to build commercial van business
      Stengel promoted to president of NAPA parent Genuine Parts Co.
    • Hankook, Revvo team up to trial 'smart' tire technology in California
      ITC votes to keep duties in place on China P/LT tire imports
      NLRB certifies USW as bargaining unit for Kumho plant in Georgia
      Air France renews tire supply deal with Michelin
    • Hankook, Revvo team up to trial 'smart' tire technology in California
      Love's plans to add over 30 stores in 2021 with Truck Care/Speedco services
      Linglong planning U.S. launch of 'Hubtrac' truck tire brand in 2021
      Evolving delivery trends good for CV tire sector — Cooper exec
    • ITC votes to keep duties in place on China P/LT tire imports
      Hwa Fong joins Taiwan tire makers' bid for alternative to import duties
      New stimulus package fixes PPP loan confusion
      USW opposes Taiwan tire makers' dumping counterproposal
    • Goodyear to install dynamic driving simulator at Luxembourg site
      ITC votes to keep duties in place on China P/LT tire imports
      Air France renews tire supply deal with Michelin
      Russia's Kama Tyres expanding truck, ag tire capacities
    • New NASCAR, F1 tire designs delayed due to COVID
      U.K. race series extends contract with Goodyear through 2026
      Goodyear Racing staying on track
      General Tire Canada renews sponsorship deal with Raceline Network
    • Hunter adds ‘FastBlast' bead-seating for LT/SUV tire changing
      Linglong planning U.S. launch of 'Hubtrac' truck tire brand in 2021
      Hankook doubles size range of Ventus V2 all-season UHP line
      Conti adding light-duty products to General Tire OTR tire lineup
    • Updated ALI lifting points guide covers vehicle model years 2000-2021
      VIP Tires opens 20th store in New Hampshire, in Keene
      Hunter adds ‘FastBlast' bead-seating for LT/SUV tire changing
      Manley: Tire dealers look to future
    • Updated ALI lifting points guide covers vehicle model years 2000-2021
      Hunter adds ‘FastBlast' bead-seating for LT/SUV tire changing
      Johnson named president, managing partner of Arnold Motor Supply
      AMRA to host 5 educational webinars in Feb., March
    • WTC hosting webinar Jan. 20 on load-capacity standards
      Denver's Brian Sump named AAPEX Shop Owner of the Year
      DUB, TIS Wheels founder Myles Kovacs is SEMA Person of the Year
      AAPEX: Using social media to promote your business
    • New stimulus package fixes PPP loan confusion
      Vaccine may usher sense of normalcy
      2020 Review: PPP loans give boost to small businesses
      Latest COVID relief bill includes $325B in small-business support
    • Hankook, Revvo team up to trial 'smart' tire technology in California
      ITC votes to keep duties in place on China P/LT tire imports
      Nokian Tyres to add up to 150 jobs at U.S. factory
      Hwa Fong joins Taiwan tire makers' bid for alternative to import duties
    • Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      7 questions to ask consumers when they need tires for a crossover SUV
      Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      Stocking Tires for Crossover SUVs
  • SHOP FLOOR
    • BALANCING
    • DEMOUNTING
    • SAFETY
    • TIRE REPAIR
    • TPMS
    • TRAINING
    • VEHICLE LIFTING
    • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Video: Balancing Tire
      Safety tips for wheel balancing
      An introduction to wheel balancing
      Wheel weights: Balancing form with function
    • Video: Demounting
      Tire changer types, tips and trends
      How to clear rim rust and corrosion
      An introduction to demounting, mounting and inflation
    • Video: Safety
      Customers
      Considerations for shop safety policies
      Introduction: Creating a culture of safety
    • Video: Tire Repair
      Essential tools, materials and equipment for tire repair
      An introduction to tire repair
      How to properly patch a puncture
    • Video: TMPS Service
      The life-saving work of TPMS
      An introduction to TPMS service
      The importance of proper relearn procedures
    • Video: Training
      Intro: Finding and training technicians
      Shop Floor: Scholarships
      Advantages of apprentice program partnerships
    • Video:Vehicle Lifting
      An introduction to lifts and lift safety
      Recommendations for using a jack
      Jack stands for commercial tire service
    • Video: Wheel Torque
      Introduction to proper wheel installation
      Torque check and recheck recommendations
      Using torque sticks to speed service times
  • Multimedia
    • VIDEOS
    • PHOTOS
    • PODCASTS
  • Events
    • ASK THE EXPERT
    • LIVESTREAMS
    • WEBINARS
    • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
  • Data
    • DATA STORE
  • Resources
    • DIRECTORY
    • CLASSIFIEDS
  • ADVERTISE
  • DIGITAL EDITION
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
August 07, 1995 02:00 AM

IMPULSE MOVE: A DISTASTE FOR OHIO WINTERS LED JOHN KAUFFMAN TO ATLANTA WHERE HE TOOK A CHANCE ON SELLING INDUSTRIAL TIRES

Edd Pritchard
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    John Kauffman admits he acted somewhat on impulse 20 years ago when deciding to gamble on selling industrial tires in the Atlanta area, far from his native Ohio and his family's established tire business there. Mr. Kauffman said he never liked the frigid winters of the ``Buckeye State.''

    When cold weather hit, he would envision warmer climes. Eventually, he discovered the comforts of mild winters in Florida and Georgia.

    But the young Ohioan also found an opportunity too good to pass up.

    While traveling in the Atlanta area, he saw the chance for a business venture that would allow him to operate on his own and escape the North's cold winters.

    Responding to that opportunity has since proved a significant move for Kauffman Tire Service, which today is based in College Park, an Atlanta suburb and boasts 17 retail stores and five warehouses, a truck tire center and a retread shop.

    The dealership now operates in Georgia, Florida and Ohio, and employs about 300 people. Four more retail stores and two more warehouses are set to open this year in the Atlanta and Tampa, Fla., areas.

    Mr. Kauffman said the business dates to 1938, when his father, Harry Kauffman, started selling Goodyear tires at a gasoline station in Wooster, Ohio.

    By the early 1960s, the company no longer sold gasoline but was concentrating on tires instead.

    John Kauffman, meanwhile, had graduated from Ohio State University and joined his father at the dealership.

    ``I just grew up in (the tire business) and didn't know any better,'' he laughed.

    Harry Kauffman started the firm on a shoestring, his son said. But he built a strong business filling the need for car and truck tires in Wooster, located some 25 miles southwest of Akron.

    In 1968, the family stepped up business in farm and industrial tires by opening its wholesale division.

    The financial strength of the Ohio store's tire sales and retreading operations made it possible for John Kauffman to develop the company's industrial tire business in the Atlanta area.

    ``We started from scratch,'' he said of the Atlanta venture. ``It's something I don't recommend anyone doing now.''

    Mr. Kauffman said he had no client lists or existing business to use as a base when setting up shop in Atlanta. He joined with company employee Mike Knapp to establish the operations in 1972. The two worked plenty of long hours, he now recalls.

    In 1975, Mr. Kauffman moved his family to Atlanta. The city was booming in the 1970s and the longer the Kauffmans stayed, the more they liked the area.

    They had expected to live in the area for about a year while the business was being launched, but stayed on. ``Atlanta's a great place to be,'' Mr. Kauffman explained.

    He credits much of the company's success to niche marketing, specifically in farm and specialty industrial tires. ``It's been an important part of our growth,'' he said.

    The company's warehouses are packed with specialty tires other dealers might need. Kauffman Tire will buy whole production runs and hold on to them-sometimes for up to 18 months.

    ``We really just provide a service for people who need these things,'' Mr. Kauffman said. ``That helps us generate other business.''

    From warehouses in Ohio, Georgia and Florida, Kauffman Tire distributes tires everywhere in the U.S. and even does business in Europe and Asia.

    The company remains a major supplier of Goodyear tires, but also carries the Toyo, Falken and Cooper's Mastercraft brands. Product lines include passenger, truck, farm, off-road and specialty tires, along with industrial.

    To keep track of inventory, Mr. Kauffman relies on a computer network. very night at the company's corporate offices at College Park, the computer system tallies up information on stock in each Kauffman Tire warehouse and store.

    Using computers to find tires in the warehouses helps Kauffman Tire fill orders quickly.

    The introduction of computers into business operations ranks as the big-gest change John Kauffman said he has seen since starting in the business more than 30 years ago.

    ``We make sure they service us,'' Mr. Kauffman said of his company's com-puter service suppliers.

    A system that needs constant attention isn't of much use, he explained.

    Using the retail passenger and truck tire business started by his father to establish the industrial tire operation in Georgia and Florida was a key change that Mr. Kauffman believes he had to make in order to keep thefamily business growing.

    Maintaining a willingness to change and striving to grow are as important as hard work when it comes to developing a successful business, he said.

    ``If we had not been willing to change (into new markets) we could have been in trouble,'' he said.

    Mr. Kauffman said he's never considered selling the business. His father turned the operation over to him, and now he plans to pass it along to his son, Mark, who already works for the company. ``I have someone to fall back on,'' he said of Mark's interest in the dealership.

    The business has been profitable through the years, Mr. Kauffman said, but more important is the satisfaction he's received from hard work, growth and success.

    But there are some things that don't change. ``Selling tires is pretty much a nuts-and-bolts business,'' he said. ``It always has been.''

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Tire Business would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor Don Detore at [email protected].

    SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Newsletter Center

    Staying current is easy with Tire Business delivered straight to your inbox.

    SUBSCRIBE TODAY

    Subscribe to Tire Business

    SUBSCRIBE
    Connect with Us
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Tire Business is an award-winning publication dedicated to providing the latest news, data and insights into the tire and automotive service industries.

    tb-logo
    Reader Services
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Site Map
    • Industry Sites
    • Order Reprints
    • Customer Service: 877-320-1716
    Partner Sites
    • Rubber & Plastics News
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Automotive News
    • Plastics News
    • Plastics News China
    • Urethanes Technology
    RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    • Terms of Service
    • Media Guide
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Classified Rates
    • List Rental
    • Digital Edition
    • Careers
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • OPINION
      • CORONAVIRUS
      • AUTO INDUSTRY
      • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
      • COMMERCIAL TIRE
      • FACTORY FIXES
      • GOVERNMENT & LAW
      • INTERNATIONAL
      • MOTOR SPORTS
      • NEW PRODUCTS
      • RETAIL TIRES
      • SERVICE ZONE
      • SEMA/AAPEX
      • SMALL BUSINESS
      • TIRE MAKERS
      • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • SHOP FLOOR
      • BALANCING
      • DEMOUNTING
      • SAFETY
      • TIRE REPAIR
      • TPMS
      • TRAINING
      • VEHICLE LIFTING
      • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Multimedia
      • VIDEOS
      • PHOTOS
      • PODCASTS
    • Events
      • ASK THE EXPERT
      • LIVESTREAMS
      • WEBINARS
      • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
    • Data
      • DATA STORE
    • Resources
      • DIRECTORY
      • CLASSIFIEDS
    • ADVERTISE
    • DIGITAL EDITION