Best-One of Indy thrives with people-first focus

INDIANAPOLIS — Best-One of Indy understands the importance of change.

The 15-location locally and family-owned dealership — part of the Best-One Tire network — is a finalist in Tire Business' 2023 Best Places to Work survey. The dealership also earned that distinction the previous two competitions.

The Best Places to Work survey is conducted by Best Companies Group (BCG), an independent research firm. Each participating business must be a retail, commercial, OTR, retread or wholesale tire dealership in the U.S., and have at least 15 employees. Each owner submits an online survey detailing company policies, practices, benefits and demographics and employees are asked to complete, a series of questions rating the company.

Every year, Best-One of Indy takes the feedback offered by employees and applies it, President Rich Elliott said.

One of Best-One's core values is accepting accountability for the need for change, and both employees and the corporate office are held to that standard, he said.

"Change is happening around us every day. If we don't change, don't adapt, we go backward," he said. "There's always an opportunity to get better."

For example, employees have often said they want more communication. So a few years ago, Best-One of Indy launched a digital company newsletter — The Quarter Mile — to keep its about 190 employees up-to-date on what's happening around the company.

When employees said they wanted even more local communication, the business implemented daily huddles at its stores to go over results and goals for the day as well as weekly corporate updates. They also added one-on-one monthly meetings with each team member to get formal feedback on what the business could be doing better.

Best-One of Indy's people — its "internal raving fans" — set them apart from the competition, Elliott said.

Like many successful businesses, Best-One of Indy considers its employees family, and strives to make the business a true family atmosphere and care for its members.

"When our people feel like they're well-taken care of, they take great care of our external customers as well," he said.

They do so by sticking to Best-One's core values: Live with integrity, character and passion; possess a servant's attitude; commit to the pursuit of perfection; and accept the urgency of accountability and the necessity of change.

"We strive to live that out every day. To create those internal raving fans. They're very important to us," Elliott said.

Best-One of Indy, like many in the industry, has worked to retain employees and fill empty positions in a difficult hiring environment.

The company offers and encourages training through the NAPA apprenticeship program, so employees who want to grow have that opportunity.

Best-One of Indy also strives to celebrate and thank its team members.

One way it does that is through acknowledging anniversaries with gifts. When an employee hits a five-year milestone — five years, 10 years, 15 years and so-on — they get their choice of either a new jacket or Carhartt sweatshirt embroidered with the company logo and the employee's years of service.

Employees get an annual $100 voucher for a "shoe mobile" that comes to stores twice a year to sell employees work shoes.

Best-One of Indy holds an annual celebration for team members with awards, prizes, games and gifts. Employees and their families also are invited to a night out at the ballpark for the Indianapolis Indians, a Triple-A team the company sponsors.

Through its payroll app, Best-One of Indy also gives frequent shout-outs to employees and hosts giveaways for items like tickets to the state fair or other local events. Stores will have surprise treats — like a visit from an ice cream truck — and cookouts or lunches to celebrate employee milestone anniversaries. Stores also are pet-friendly.

The company emphasizes employee engagement and works to get to know its employees personally and professionally.

They let employees know how their work contributes to the business' success. They also help employees "understand how they're part of a bigger thing," Elliott said.

"We're not just selling tires and service, but we're providing peace of mind for drivers and truckers alike. We help our little piece of America move safely and cost effectively across Indiana and the country."

Several years ago, Best-One of Indy invested in a skilled HR manager who overhauled the company's onboarding process.

As a result of all of its work, the company's turnover rate dropped 15% and is on track to drop another 25% this year, Elliott said.

The company also gives back to its local community through its philanthropic giving program. The company currently supports six charities near and dear to employees' hearts. They also offer sponsorships and donations to local organizations to help them raise needed funds, and hold an annual Toys for Tots toy drive.

Each November, Best-One of Indy stores hold a Peanut Butter and Jelly "foodraiser" to collect supplies for area food banks. Though peanut butter costs shot up this year, stores still collected more than 5,700 jars of peanut butter and jelly.

"The fact that people were digging in their pockets a bit more to help feed people was really cool," Elliott said.

The company also holds an annual golf outing to celebrate and thank commercial customers. The event raises funds for charities — more than $15,000 over the last eight years.

At the end of the day, it all comes back to people.

Business owners strive to provide top-notch customer service. They focus on the paying customer, Elliott said.

"Our first customer is our people," Elliott said.

When businesses take care of their people, those people will in turn take better care of the paying customer, he said.

"It's making sure we're taking care of our people financially, emotionally, physically and spiritually. So they truly, not only feel, but know, that you're investing in them as a person," he said.