AKRON — Two mainstays of the U.S. commercial tire sector — McGriff Tire and Shrader Tire & Oil — are celebrating their 75th anniversaries in 2023.
Cullman, Ala.-based McGriff was founded by the late Bertis E. "Bert" McGriff a few years after finishing a three-year stint with the U.S. Army. McGriff was recruited by Shell Oil Co. in 1948 to help open and run a Shell filling station in Cullman.
He used that experience to branch out on his own, establishing a new business that would become known as McGriff Tire Co. Inc. He died in July 2020 at age 94.
According to McGriff Tire, Bert McGriff expanded early on into retreading, initially focusing on passenger and truck tires. Due to the poor quality of casings available in the early 1970s, McGriff phased out of passenger tire retreading and focused on truck tires.
Today, McGriff Tire operates 15 predominantly commercial tire service locations in Alabama and two in Tennessee, with over 450 employees. McGriff Treading Co., a Bandag franchisee since 2002, ranks among the 15 largest truck tire retreaders in the U.S.
McGriff Tire still operates by the same business philosophy Bert McGriff espoused in 1948 — be fair, work hard, provide excellent customer service and do your best no matter what the job.
The dealership posted a video on its website recapping its history.
Bert McGriff's sons Barry and Jeff McGriff continue to run the business today.