life there. He graduated Durand High School, home of the Panthers, where he was active in track and field, basketball and other sports and enjoyed exploring Wisconsin’s natural beauty riding ATVs with family and friends. And of course he worked in the family tire
and service business. “Pretty much from the ninth grade,
sweeping floors in the retread shop, I worked every position in the company,” Bauer said. Bauer attended the University of
Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, initially to study computer science and applied math. To this day he has a healthy interest in technology, but he shifted to business management with a minor in logistics. But that doesn’t mean Bauer had set his cap
to work for the family business at that point. “I never thought that far ahead to where I
said ‘Yeah, I’m going to work for the company,’ “ Bauer said. Still, when the time came, Bauer thought
“Why not?” After getting his degree Bauer worked in Cedar Rapids for close to five years, moving
from assistant manager to store manager to regional manager before moving back to the corporate office in Durand. Close to the larger city of Eau Claire,
Durand offers Bauer and his family a small town atmosphere good for raising kids and fostering friendships, Bauer said. “It’s our headquarters, it’s where our
company was founded. I’ve got a pretty strong attachment to it,” Bauer said. Bauer, 40, married his wife Jodi, a
childhood friend since seventh grade, in 1998 and they have three girls, two of them twins. Along with technology, Bauer developed
an interest in music as a guitar player and he enjoys hearing his children play as well as coaching them on their various basketball teams. “If I’m not at work within the business I’m
with my family,” he said. In June, Bauer announced its newest
acquisition, Central Tire & Tread in Lexington, Neb., which is location No. 35. Two more new locations are in the works, Bauer said.
Bauer Built products include new and
retread tires for commercial vehicles; new and reconditioned wheels; agricultural, industrial and over-the-road products and passenger and light truck tires. Services include commercial, fleet maintenance, value added services, a mounted wheel program, wheel reconditioning and retail. While it’s true that tires and tire services
are the backbone of the company, under Tad’s leadership the company has shifted its vision toward other elements. Te Bauer Built fleet maintenance division, for example, was also launched in June. “Over my tenure we’ve really been driving
more of a focus to the end user customer,” Bauer said. By the end of the year Bauer plans to have
14 mobile fleet maintenance trucks in service — “And those will already have been spoken for,” he said — and envisions 50-100 trucks when the division is fully developed. “We believe providing strong service is the
best way to create value for our customers,” Bauer said.
Northland Insurance – working with you and for you.
Our customers know their Northland team is working to protect their business. Northland brings transportation expertise from dedicated underwriting to knowledgeable and experienced risk control and claim specialists – all working with you to reduce loss, increase safety and minimize claims.
That’s the Northland Advantage. To learn more, call your agent or broker, or visit us online at
northlandins.com.
© 2015 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. M-16993-4 Rev. 8-14
Northland is a proud member and supporter of the Nebraska Trucking Association.
12
NEBRASKA TRUCKER — ISSUE 4, 2015 —
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