Kim McMahon named 2022 Humanitarian

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Parade floats manned by store employees.

Artistically painted benches straddled by a large cat and dog sitting outside one store and in the waiting room of another.

A mobile mammogram unit in the parking lot.

A "tire tree" at a holiday tree festival.

A pen full of adoptable puppies greeting tire service customers.

These are just a handful of the visible philanthropic activities McMahon's Best-One Tire & Auto Care is involved with in its hometown of Fort Wayne. The dealership also has a reputation for donating money, time and products/services to numerous local charities over the years.

Under the leadership of President Kim McMahon, the dealership has been growing over the past few years, and so has its charitable donations. Last year the dealership donated more than $100,000 to about 37 non-profit organizations.

"She is the heart of the organization. She brings heart to everything she does," Lindsey Beer, chief strategic officer for Best-One Tire & Service and a business partner, said.

"What I love about Kim is she has that great energy about her, but you can tell she's wicked smart and she is a businesswoman. She stands her ground and she stands behind the things she believes in and I'm really lucky that Humane Fort Wayne is one of those things she believes in," said Jessica Henry, executive director of Humane Fort Wayne, an animal shelter supported by McMahon's.

"I think the work that Kim McMahon and her team are doing is simply wonderful. They have become a well-respected 'hometown' tire business that's family owned and operated," said Eric Johnson, 2nd Vice Commander, Veterans National Memorial Shrine and Museum, one of the organizations McMahon's supports.

For all this charitable work, Kim McMahon was selected by an independent panel of judges as the recipient of the 29th Tire Business Tire Dealer Humanitarian Award.

The award is given annually to an independent tire dealer or retreader who, during the past year, has made significant contributions to the betterment of their community through charitable and/or public service work.

McMahon, the first individual woman to receive the award, was honored Oct. 31 during the annual Tire Industry Association Honors program, prior to the opening of the SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

She received the Tire Business Tire Dealer Humanitarian Medal as well as the trip to the SEMA Show and a check for $2,500, to be donated to the charity of her choice.

"Being a humanitarian seems to start with how Kim treats her own employees," the judges said. "McMahon's has created a culture of caring among employees assisting with local clean-ups, working in animal shelters, donating to those in need. This company has a family-focused work environment and encourages future generations to give something back to their community."

This sentiment is shared by the non-profits McMahon has supported through the years.

"This honor for Kim, it's just a drop in the bucket of what she deserves for what she does," Jim Garigen, founder of Invisible Vets Ltd., a recipient of McMahon's generosity, said.

"And we're not simply talking about Invisible Vets and the veterans community. Her impact is so far reaching in every area, whether it be breast cancer awareness, puppies in need, just everything. To me she is the template of the selfless person who would give the proverbial shirt off her back," he said.

"Her spirit just radiates, and she cares about her community," Humane Fort Wayne's Henry said.

"She's not a native of Fort Wayne, but you wouldn't know it because she's like a mascot. … She loves Fort Wayne, and she loves Humane Fort Wayne, and we love her back."

Some of the many beneficiaries of McMahon's Best One philanthropy include:

• Kate's Kart Inc., which provides new books to children in local hospitals;
• Invisible Vets, which helps homeless veterans;
• Humane Fort Wayne, a local animal shelter;
• Veterans National Memorial Shrine and Museum in Fort Wayne;
• ACRES Land Trust, dedicated to protecting land in northeast Indiana;
• Wreaths Across America, which lays wreaths at the graves of military members;
• Honor Flight Northeast Indiana, which flies local veterans free-of-charge to Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C.;
• Gigi's Playhouse Fort Wayne, that offers programs and support for those with Down syndrome; and
• Turnstone, which provides services for people with disabilities.

These enumerated causes are in addition to numerous community events, such as hosting a mobile mammogram unit and bloodmobile; collecting canned food for the local food pantry; and participating in the Tour de Fort bicycling event to support veterans, the Blue Jackets Fantasy of Lights drive-thru holiday displays (proceeds from which support job training for the disadvantaged), and the annual Three Rivers Festival and parade through downtown.

Not only does the dealership donate money, sets of tires and maintenance packages and sponsor fundraisers, the dealership's managers and employees participate and volunteer at charity and community events.

The largest donation each year comes from the McMahon's Best One annual golf outing for about 70 commercial customers, vendors and sales personnel.

In addition to the camaraderie and networking, guests hear about the work of a select charity and then answer the request for donations.

Each year the golf outing has generated an increasing amount of donations so that this year, the company decided to split the record $24,750 in donations between two charities: Wreaths Across America and the Veterans National Memorial.

"I think it's important for businesses to be involved in the community," McMahon said. "Sometimes that's just donating money or services or something like that. But there are certain ones that we get more involved with than others.

"We like to keep it local because I think that's really important that the money stay in the area. … I've always felt that strong companies create strong communities. And I just wanted to be a part of that."

Following a career in banking, McMahon, who is married to Patrick "Bubba" McMahon III, began working at her family's dealership in 1999 and became president in 2008.

Her father-in-law, Patrick McMahon Jr., who founded the dealership in 1969, always contributed to the Salvation Army and a couple of other organizations during the holidays.

As the company has grown, so has its donations and number of recipients. Donations of some kind are dispersed nearly every month.

"That's what we're here to do. That was instilled in me by my dad," Bubba McMahon said, adding, "We're successful enough that we're able to give back to the community. Buying local, being local, that's what it's all about.

"Anybody can sell a tire out of the back of a truck, but it's what we do with it in the community and building a stronghold. ... We've grown every year, and I think that's because of what we do in the community."

He said by donating to local charities, the company and the employees get to see the results.

Sometimes the company will find a donation recipient from watching the local news.

For instance, the McMahons may see a community need for winter coats for the poor and so they encourage employees to bring in a coat to donate, he said.

"Next thing you know, everybody is bringing in a coat. We have enough employees that you can fill something up really quick," he said.

The dealership is especially keen on assisting non-profits that support local veterans. Kim McMahon's father-in-law and her stepfather both served in the military, but it is her friendship with Garigen that also made an impact.

"He really touched my heart with the work he was doing with the homeless vets. It was a combination of all those things," she explained. She became a charter board member of his organization.

It's important to go beyond just writing a check, she said.

"The money part of it is, obviously, very important but knowing their stories and knowing the integrity and what they are bringing to the charity they are working with and really feeling the dedication that they have makes it much easier to want to (help)," she said.

"We've involved all of our employees, whether it's collecting books for Kate's Kart or accepting donations for some of the other places that we work with. When you see the work (the non-profits are) doing, it's much easier to be excited about it and explain it to everybody and get them to want to be involved.

"If all you're doing is writing checks, and we do that — I mean I'm not actively involved in everything we do — but I think that added element takes it to a different level," McMahon said.

McMahon said she is proud of the positive culture that has been created at the dealership over the years. The dealership was a finalist for the Tire Business Best Places to Work competition in 2020.

Due to that culture, her employees buy in to the company's many charitable endeavors. Many of the charity recipients were brought to her attention by employees.

"That's where we get a lot of the good ideas is from our employees coming to us about it. I love the fact that they're actively involved with that. It just makes it a lot more fun," McMahon said.

McMahon always has had a passion for charitable work and giving back to the community, according to Nikki Phillips, McMahon's director of retail development.

The company makes a point of seeking input from the employees, she added. "What do our employees have a passion for? Where does their heart lie? And what means something to them? … We always want our employees to know we care about what they care about."

The company also has been approached by several charities, so McMahon determines how to help, aside from a monetary donation, such as volunteer, sponsor an event or donate a set of tires or a maintenance package for auctions.

The community involvement is noticed.

Bubba McMahon said he often hears from customers and those in the community how they appreciate the company's activities and support.

"I think that differentiates us from (larger competitors) Belle Tire or a Discount Tire. They are big animals, but I think what we do locally, that just helps," he said.

"Anybody can take out a checkbook and write a check and have no connection," Garigen said, "but I believe that Kim lives and breathes every organization and every single cause that she's involved in, and the McMahon family is involved in, and that's the difference."