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
    • Tire Cologne canceled; rescheduled until 2022
      New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
      Vaccine may usher sense of normalcy
      Cover-up: More retailers requiring face masks to curb COVID
    • Icahn Auto trims fiscal 2020 operating loss despite 14% lower sales
      Oshkosh unit gets contract for new USPS local delivery vehicle
      Sumitomo adds treadwear-detection to 'Sensor Core' toolkit
      New Porsche 911 GT3 to feature Michelin fitment
    • ATD's Schuette: Other 'strategic opportunities' could emerge in wake of Goodyear-Cooper deal
      Analysts see good signs in Goodyear-Cooper deal
      Home Depot turning to Tweel to solve downtime issues in rental business
      Sentury's 10-year global expansion strategy will include plants in North America, Europe
    • Michelin upgrades 2 lines of Energy-branded truck tires
      TravelCenters plans 6 TA Express sites in California in 2021
      Carlisle TyrFil broadens recycling technology options
      U.K. retreader Vaculug to promote tread rubber supplier Vipal
    • USTMA joins coalition supporting passage of Equality Act
      McMahon's Best-One increases its minimum wage to $15
      Oshkosh unit gets contract for new USPS local delivery vehicle
      Conti recalling 94,000 Conti-, General-, Barum-brand LT/SUV tires
    • Sentury's 10-year global expansion strategy will include plants in North America, Europe
      Rebound in car tire demand drives USTMA market forecast for 2021
      Michelin driving for '100% sustainable' tires by 2050
      Bridgestone celebrating 90 years as a business in 2021
    • Bridgestone World Solar Challenge canceled due to pandemic restrictions
      Pirelli, Goodyear ink sedan racing series contracts in Canada, Europe
      Goodyear extends partnership with Nürburgring race circuit
      BFG to support ATV/UTV racers in WORCS series
    • Michelin upgrades 2 lines of Energy-branded truck tires
      Falken revamps winter tire lineup with studless Eurowinter products
      Michelin launching ‘eco-responsible' performance tire for sporty EVs
      Martins Industries launches products in 3 categories
    • Leeds West buys New Mexico Big O store property
      BTS to host three-day virtual sales conference for its dealers
      Our View: Goodyear, Cooper deal historic moment in tire history
      McMahon's Best-One increases its minimum wage to $15
    • Pennzoil offering carbon-neutral lubricants for passenger cars
      Washington dealership uses new-school solution for recruiting auto techs
      Marinucci: Customers may ignore dangerous conditions
      Automotive Lift Institute introduces Check360 inspection, label
    • SEMA scholarships and loan forgiveness now available
      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
    • Trade groups oppose minimum wage increase proposal
      New stimulus package fixes PPP loan confusion
      Vaccine may usher sense of normalcy
      2020 Review: PPP loans give boost to small businesses
    • Sentury's 10-year global expansion strategy will include plants in North America, Europe
      Industry experts to discuss Goodyear-Cooper transaction in free livestream
      Rebound in car tire demand drives USTMA market forecast for 2021
      Michelin launching ‘eco-responsible' performance tire for sporty EVs
    • 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
      Sponsored By AppointmentPlus
      Three Important Lessons Learned for the Tire Business During a Pandemic
      Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      7 questions to ask consumers when they need tires for a crossover SUV
  • SHOP FLOOR
    • BALANCING
    • DEMOUNTING
    • SAFETY
    • TIRE REPAIR
    • TPMS
    • TRAINING
    • VEHICLE LIFTING
    • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Video: Balancing Tire
      An introduction to wheel balancing
      Wheel weights: Balancing form with function
      Choosing the right balancing equipment
    • Video: Demounting
      An introduction to demounting, mounting and inflation
      Staying safe when demounting and mounting tires
      Demounting Equipment
    • Video: Safety
      Introduction: Creating a culture of safety
      Protecting your people with proper hygiene
      Making friends with OSHA
    • Video: Tire Repair
      An introduction to tire repair
      How to properly patch a puncture
      Tire repair: Shining a light on visual inspections
    • Video: TMPS Service
      An introduction to TPMS service
      The importance of proper relearn procedures
      Decoding sensor data for TPMS diagnosis
    • 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
  • Awards
    • Tire Dealer Humanitarian Award
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
January 05, 2004 01:00 AM

Easter Tire expands with style

Lisa Aichlmayr
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    Kurt Emans is still trying to figure out why he waited so long to add a seventh, all-retail outlet on the heels of an expansion of his retreading business.

    ``If retreading hadn't grown at the rate it'd grown, we probably still wouldn't have done it,'' said the president of Easter Tire Inc. in Lima. ``With the amount of traffic flow (at the new store), it's nothing to have 16, 17, 18 people just looking around.''

    Easter Tire added the seventh outlet when the company needed to expand capacity at its Lima retreading facility to accommodate new customers. A retail center previously had been enclosed in the retreading facility, but it was moved out so the space could be absorbed for manufacturing. Most of the retreading growth was from existing Bandag retread customers that switched to Easter Tire from other commercial dealership retreaders.

    But since the all-retail outlet opened Nov. 1 in a refurbished building that previously had housed a machine shop, Mr. Emans said business has been booming. In the first week alone, he said the center put on 436 tires.

    ``Business has been great,'' he said. ``It's nice to see the existing customers that you have, (and) it's nice to see the new faces that are coming in, too.''

    Easter Tire sells Kelly, Cooper, Michelin and BFGoodrich brands in passenger tires and Bridgestone, Kelly, Michelin and BFGoodrich commercial tires along with Bandag retreads.

    While the benefits of the retail store were quickly noticeable, the work to convert the building didn't happen as fast. Mr. Emans said work on the facility took about nine months and lots of resources to complete. The company knocked about 60 feet off the front of the building, put doors in, converted windows to doors and installed a myriad of equipment.

    Easter Tire also added a rock display featuring about 70 spotlights shining on light truck tires. Black paint throughout the showroom lends to a warehouse feel, Mr. Emans said.

    Though converting the one-story building took so much time and work, he said the brick structure was built so well that he didn't want to tear it down and start from scratch.

    ``You couldn't have duplicated this structure for a fraction of what it would cost to build something like this new,'' he said.

    Though the new store is only about 12 blocks away from its former location, Easter Tire employed several advertising techniques to get customers over to the new location. Mr. Emans said he ran lots of local advertising, put up billboards and signs at the other stores and hung banners on the new store as crews worked on it.

    ``We just flooded the airwaves as far as radio goes,'' he said.

    Close to the opening date, workers armed with maps were at the old location to help any customers who needed them, although few did since they already had been anticipating the new opening, Mr. Emans said.

    The transition to the new store also was aided by hiring the outlet's managers about six to eight months before the opening. Mr. Emans said they were assigned to other stores to learn the company's computer system, pricing structures, policies, products and culture.

    By the time the new store opened, they already had been trained, he said. ``So it wasn't like starting with people with zero experience.''

    A final component of the conversion was customer feedback, Mr. Emans told Tire Business.

    For example, many customers reported they wanted to see their vehicle being worked on, he said, so Easter Tire installed a 12-foot-tall, 60-foot-wide glass wall showcasing the tire service.

    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
    • 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
    • Awards
      • Tire Dealer Humanitarian Award