G. Phillip (Phil) Wick, 66, former chairman and president of Les Schwab Tire Centers Inc., died in Oregon Aug. 17.
Mr. Wick was born in Puyallup, Wash., and began his career at Les Schwab in 1965 as a 21-year-old hourly sales and service employee.
Within three years he became manager of the Les Schwab tire center in Walla Walla, Wash., and was one of the youngest store managers in the company's history.
In 1983, company founder Les Schwab tapped Mr. Wick as president, and the two worked together to establish many of the dealership's innovative employee programs, according to a company release. The two maintained a steadfast focus on exceptional customer service.
In 2008 Mr. Wick retired as chairman of Les Schwab, one of North America's largest independent tire dealerships, but remained a member of its board. At the time, he said in a statement that the dealership had “always been more than a job, it's a way of life. Our employees and customers make this company a great place to work and I am proud of our accomplishments.”
The company said Mr. Wick was committed to building people and was a great mentor and friend to countless Les Schwab employees. He enjoyed recruiting and training employees and helping them to be successful.
His enthusiasm and personal warmth was infectious and he will be deeply missed, according to the company.
Mr. Wick is survived by his wife Lesley, son Jeff, daughter Heather Neet and their families.