In the April 8 edition of Tire Business (available for download now), we profiled a few owners of smaller (one to two outlets) tire dealerships who have found success running their tire businesses.
While every small-business owner faces unique issues, there are common themes among them. That's true of the dealers we profiled.
They work hard, pay attention to the details, build strong relationships with their suppliers and, above all, value customer service.
"Treat them right once, and they'll come back forever," Ryan Anderson of Montana Tire Distributors Inc. told us.
Anderson, who operates a retail shop and a wholesale distributor in Billings, Mont., is a second-generation owner. He said he believes his shop's longevity has built relationships that can't be broken by larger retailers coming into the area.
Mike Spagnola of Southtown's Tireman in upstate New York said business has always been steady because of the relationships he's built over 45 years with customers.
"People that come in here are people that we know, neighbors or friends — or friends of friends," he said. "And believe it or not, even though they might move away, they still come back."
Mike Romtvedt of Basin Tire in rural Oregon said you have to be knowledgeable and willing to adjust.
"Always give (customers) a value proposition," he said, "not the cheapest nor most expensive, … and know your stuff."
Romtvedt said his business has survived because of a willingness to reinvent itself multiple times to keep pace with the region's evolving economy, most notably the decline in the timber industry. Through it all, the dealership has been able to maintain its identity within the community, enjoying its best year ever in 2023.
While Basin Tire's ability to adjust has made it successful, Strikeforce Tire is doing its own thing in Virginia.
Strikeforce Tire is a successful, single-store dealership located in a rural community that offers only tires and mounting services and maintains a large inventory.
When Jeff Cohen moved to rural Virginia in 2016 and opened a tire shop in a town of 700 residents, he thought it was a bad business move with such a small customer base.
"We opened up, and we took off like wildfire," he said.
Certainly, all of the mergers and acquisitions that have been consummated over the past few years — particularly those involving dealerships owned by private equity firms — has helped the large dealership grow even more.
And to be fair, those big-box dealerships espouse many of the same principals and fundamentals that the smaller shops do.
But it seems as if those who reside in small communities across North America embrace the mom-and-pops as much as ever. There is something comforting for a customer to enter a shop and see the same face, visit after visit.
Business is booming in a lot of places. The tales of small-town tire dealers reveal strong family and community connections. It goes to show how success can be found with hard work, done right.