GARDENA, Calif. (Jan. 30, 2016) — A youthful fling can lead to a lifetime love affair.
For Andrew Hoit, named in October 2016 to be vice president of sales and marketing for the National Brands Division of private brander and wholesaler Tireco Inc., a youthful job as a tire salesman led to a 22-year involvement (so far) with the tire industry.
Mr. Hoit had just graduated from the University of Georgia when friends told him they had taken jobs with National Tire Warehouse (NTW) in Atlanta.
“NTW was then the biggest tire retailer in the Atlanta area, with 35 percent of market share,” he said. “I could earn $35,000 a year straight out of college just selling tires at the counter.
“My attitude was that I'd make $35,000 a year until I had a real job,” Mr. Hoit said. “Well, it turned into a real job.”
Mr. Hoit worked for NTW in Tennessee, Florida and West Virginia, concentrating on the company's fleet and other “non-traditional” tire businesses, and finally went to South Carolina to be in charge of all NTW operations in the state.
It was during this time that the Sears Group acquired NTW, he said, and before long Sears sent him to corporate headquarters in Hoffman Estates, Ill., to head a 20-employee business development team. Later, he also was a buyer for Sears.