Y8 SUNDAY,NOVEMBER 1, 2009 2ND AN ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR
indystar.com/50years Profiles of businesses that have been around 50 yearsormore
Tire Barn keeps rolling
along for nearly 80 years
By Shari Held ForCustom Publications
It’s difficult to
believe today, but in
the 1920s, Indiana
was aboomstate
for petroleum and
natural g as.
It was an opportunity that
accountants Everett and Iva Tate
Jones couldn’t pass up.
After obtaining funding fro m
agroup of Anderson-based
businessmen, the husband-and-wife
team founded Every body’s OilCorp.
with oneservice stationthat sold gas,
stocked t ires and repaired cars.The Quick facts
year was 1930.
“The odds weren’t with them,” Tire Barn
said grandsonChri sJones, president Headquart ers: Anderson
and CEO of Tire Barn, the successor Phone: (765) 643-9525
to Everybody’s Oil Corp. “But my Website: www.tirebarnusa.com
BarnFounded: 1930grandfather had an entrepreneurial
reOwner: Christopher Jones Tispirit and adesire to be his ownboss.”
byInfo: The company carries allEverybody’s Oil s urvived the
major brand tires and wheels forGreat Depression and WorldWar
providedautomobiles, lighttrucks, performanceII, when both tires and gasoline w ere
vehicles and vans. It offers avariety Photorationed, and gre wthe business to 20
of professional t ire services such as
service stations in Indiana. computerized wheelbalancing and
Birth of the Tire Barn wheel alignment (most locations),In 1950 when Everett died, his became an important component of better-performing nitrogen for free.
mounting,rotations and repairs. F reeson, Arnold, ape troleum engineer, Some service stations stillsold the business. “Our entiremanagement group,
services include safety inspections,tookoverthe business. Under tires, and Arnold was considering One of the lynchpins of especially the senior management
air pressure checks, and refills a ndArnold’s leadership the company closing them entirely, when he heard Tire Barn’sbusiness is its Free team, has done atremendous job,”
alignment checks.Tire Barn featuresa
reinvented itself severaltimes and about astorein Colorado that was Replacement warra ntyfor the Jones said. nationwide free replacement program
and tire repair s ervice.earned areputation for innovation , making aprettyprofit by selling lifetime of the t ires sold.
Steady,measured growthatraditionthat has been further tires and gas exc lusively. He found “That came about because we
enhanced by his son, Chris. the idea compelling and wanted sold private-label tires and not name By 2008, the last of the
Neverenthralled with the to investigate itsfeasibilityin the brands people would recognize,” convenience store s, whichhad been narrowed the scopeofthe business
automotiverepair side of the Midwest marketplace. Jones said.“Wewanted to giveour managed by Chris’ sister,Anne Jones so we could concentrate on what we
business, in the early ’70s, Arnold When Chris joined the company customers confidence in our tires. LaRue, weresold, mainlytoGas do best.”
closed the service bays and in 1977 fresh from Wabash College, Even though we nowsellmost America. At the time of the sale,the In 2007, Jones opened a$1
installed milk andpop coolers, his first major p roject was to turn major brands, the Free Replacement convenience store divisionbrought in millionprototype storeinMuncie.
creating Indiana’sfirst gas station/ the concept into reality. Chris, w ho program is still apillar of our less than half thecorporate sales. The 8,000-square-foot supercenter
convenience store s. Everybody’s Oil had worked in the business since age business.” “Selling the convenience stores features atire-and-wheel showroom,
was named Milk Barnthen and 14, opened the first Tire Barnstore Other successful marketing picked the pace up on Tire Barn’s sevenservice bays and atire-and-
later became Red Barntoreflect in 1978 in Anderson,one year after strategies areit sno-surprises pricing growth,” Jones said.“The influx o f wheel warehouse a rea.To date,one-
agrowing selection of food and the Tire BarnWarehouse division —the tireprice includes everything capital gaveusthe means to acquire thirdofTireBarn’s30stores have
beverage products. was established.The divisionsoon —and filling customers’ tires with newproperties forstores, and it been converted to supercenters.●
Time line Q&A with Tire Barn’s ChrisJones
1930: Everybody’sOil
Corporation is founded in
Anderson. By Shari Held ForCustom Publications
1950: Arnold Jones becomes
president and CEO. Here’swhat Chris Jones,
president and CEO of1970s: The company opens the
first modern convenience store Tire Barnhas to sayabout
in Indiana. doing business in today’s
1977: The Tire Barn Warehouse
division is established in environment —fromthe
Anderson. pleasures of owning afamily
1989: Christopher Jones business to dealing with
becomes president and CEO.
government regulations and2007: The company sells its
convenience store/gas station futuregrowth.
locations.
: What’syour philosophy of business2007: The Tire Barn debuts a
newstore prototype in Muncie. Q today?
: “It’snot the best of economic times, but2007: The company receives A
we areinagrowthmode because we arethe Consumer’sChoice Award
performing wellinadownmarket. We think it’sfor Business Excellence by an
an opportunityfor us to grow while others mayindependent surveycompany.
be cutting back. We arealwaystrying to refine
our marketing programs and our advertising to2009: Tire Barn opens its 30th
Guioincrease our appeal to morecustomers.”store in Columbus.
Michael: Is it an advantage or disadvantage to be aQ
family-owned business? Photo:
Senior management team (from left): Bob Osborne, senior vice president, 33 years; Chris Jones, president,: “I absolutelyconsider it to be an advantage.
32 years; Eldon Riggs, COO, 17 years. (Not pictured: Greg Galasso, executive vice president, 24 years; MarkA We don’thavelayers of management like
Hoogenboom, controller,10years.)the big corporations do.Wecan basically makeOurvalues
changes on the flyonanything from pricing,“
to the locationofanew store, to refining ourarethe same performing and safetires to the people who: “Recruiting the best people to manage
employeeincentiveprograms, to our marketing. want them.”A our stores and the best technicianstodayasthey
It’s agreat advantage. to service our tirebusiness is the biggest
“On the other hand, we don’thaveaccess to thewere when : What are you most proud of about thechallenge we have, and it is ongoing.This is a
capital the big companies do.Wecouldn’t go out Q company?commonchallenge for most retail businesses.thecompany
and open 20 stores in ayear.” We arealwayslooking to improvewhat we
: “First, our corporate cultureand thewasfounded.
do for our customers through our people,and A relationships we havewith allofour: Is there aJones-in-training ready to takeover
Ithink we’reprettygood at it. associates. Second, the fact that we haveAllour Q the business when you retire?
“Dealing with governmental regulations grownfrom onetirestorein1977 to 30 today.associates : “I havethree sons and twodaughters. My
and involvement in business continues to Tenofthem aresupercenters. We plan toA oldest sonis18and has been working at the
be achallenge.The recentlypassed tariff rebuild allthe other stores over the next 10arepartof Fishers Tire Barnfor the last twoyears. He’s in
on imported tires from China is something years, plus build twonew stores eachyear.ourfamily. college now, and Iimagine the next twoboys
we’regoing to havetodeal with soonfrom “Asnearly as we cantell, we arethe largest” willbeworking at Tire Barnbeforetoo long.We
asupplystandpoint because domestic Indiana-based independent tireretailer,as—Chris Jones definitelyhaveplans to keep it in the family.”
manufacturers don’twant to make entry- far as tires sold. Andwehavetosellalot of
leveltires. We haveseen the entry-leveltire tires because we don’tdoauto service.Tires: What’sthe biggest challenge the company
business increase considerablyinthe last and customwheels areour business.That’s allQ faces today,and what challenges do you
twoyears. We aregoing to workhardto we do.Sowehope we do it better than mostanticipate in the future?
ensurethat we canget inexpensivebut good- people.”●
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