FORT WAYNE, Ind. — While Congress is debating whether to increase the federal minimum wage to $15, McMahon's Best-One Tire & Auto Care already is doing so for its full-time employees.
The tire dealership, with seven retail/commercial stores in northeast Indiana, has raised the minimum wage for all full-time employees to $15 per hour, effective March 1.
"It's certainly good for our employees and will help our local economy, but it also gives us a competitive advantage over other retailers. We invest in our employees and they in turn do a great job for us and for our customers," McMahon's Best-One President Kim McMahon said.
Indiana's current minimum hourly wage is $7.25. McMahon Best-One said its pay rate varies upon the position, but tire technicians, who generally have the lower starting wage, were previously receiving a beginning wage of $13.
Ms. McMahon said the dealership doesn't intend to make any changes to its business to offset the increase.
"We believe that's it's the right thing to do for our employees and that by having employees who are more financially comfortable will create an atmosphere where they want to stay with us for the long term, which will, in fact, lower our overall expense," she said.
Last year McMahon's Best-One was a finalist in the Tire Business Best Places to Work competition, based, in part, on employee survey responses.
Ms. McMahon, who owns the dealership with her husband Patrick "Bubba" McMahon III and Randy Geyer, said the dealership prides itself in offering employees a package of benefits, training and enrichment activities.
The 52-year-old tire dealership has about 100 employees and it recently opened a retail store in Fort Wayne next to its commercial truck tire center.
