BEND, Ore.— John Britton, president of operations for Les Schwab Tire Centers during the early 2000s, died on Aug. 7. He was 72.
According to the tire dealership, Britton began his career at Les Schwab at 16, working part-time at the store in Klamath Falls, Ore. He retired 50 years later, in 2018, as president and the longest-serving employee in Les Schwab history.
When he retired, the dealership said Britton "emphasized his gratitude for the opportunity to turn a part-time job into a lifelong career.
"It's hard to express my profound appreciation to Les and the family for giving me an opportunity to work for this truly remarkable company," Britton said then. "As I look back 50 years, what stands out most to me are all the amazing people I've had the honor to work with . . . great people dedicated to making this company successful today and into the future."
John Robertson, Les Schwab's president of store operations, described Britton as "an incredible friend, mentor, colleague and Les Schwab legend."
Robertson said he "dedicated his life's work to Les Schwab, pouring his heart and soul into making it — and all of us — the very best we could be," Robertson said. "Many of us would not be the people we are today without his thoughtful leadership, guidance and support."
Robertson said that each day that the dealership takes great care of customers, communities and coworkers, "we honor John's legacy. So much can be said about him and the imprint he leaves on the company."
Les Schwab has more than 550 locations throughout 13 mostly Western states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming, employing more than 8,500.
