Hello, I'm Alaina Scott. Welcome to Tire Business NewsPoint, your video source for exclusive tire industry news.
In an age when consolidation is leaving its mark on the tire industry and privately owned companies continue to disappear, some businesses — like Leipold Tire in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio — are still very much a family affair. Owner Dennis Leipold, whose sons Andy and Ben are now managing the company he founded 38 years ago, said he's hopeful Leipold Tire will one day become a third-generation family business.
His eldest grandson, 17-year-old Landon Leipold, has been a regular at the tire shop since he was 6, helping out by rolling tires back and forth across the service bay. These days he works as a mechanic at the shop, helping out for a few hours each day after school and working full time during the summer.
Landon's father, Ben Leipold, who also began helping at his father's dealership when he was about 6, agreed that it's important that his children choose their own path in life, but he believes Landon's time at the dealership has helped him to develop a strong work ethic.
As for Landon, he said he's not yet certain what his future with the company holds.