November 01, 2011
Larry Brandt: TIA must grow
Keeping its members and the industry educated is another priority, says the incoming president
For the next year, TIA President Larry Brandt will place an emphasis on education and training. “Without trained employees, you cannot survive in the automotive service industry today.”
Larry Brandt is a man who believes in education. As a college student, Brandt unloaded tires at a Minnesota warehouse on his summer break. He broke into the tire business full time in 1979 as a wholesale tire and antifreeze broker. In 1985 he merged that company with Tires Plus and he became the vice president of wholesale for the five-store company.
Brandt was named president of Tires Plus in 1995, a position he held until the company was sold to Morgan Tire & Auto in August of 2000. In the 15 years he was on the Tires Plus senior management team, the number of stores grew from five to 144. He was chairman of the Tire Alliance Groupe from 1998-2000, and is still a member.
In 2001 he started MSB Tires LLC with two former executives of Tires Plus, Dan Gullet and Tom Gegax (above). MSB operated seven Tires Plus licensees in Minnesota and Iowa until he sold that company to TBC Corp. in October 2010. He is currently president of the United Tire Group. He also started Brandt Marketing, a consulting company that helps tire dealers. He has a consulting agreement with Comdata Corp., which helps automotive fleet companies consolidate and control their fuel and maintenance.
As the Tire Industry Association’s (TIA) incoming president, he knows how important it is to stay educated in order to run a successful tire business. TIA represents all segments of the tire industry, and Brandt wants to help advance all of them.
Brandt has a unique perspective when it comes to running a tire business. He was president of Tires Plus when it was an independent retail chain. He remained involved when it became company-owned by Bridgestone Retail Operations LLC. He says there are not a lot of differences between running seven stores or 144 stores.
“Multi-store management always comes down to systems and people,” Brandt explains. “If an individual only had one store he would still have to have systems in place so the store could run efficiently when he wasn’t there. When you run a 144-store chain you have a lot of support people to do different functions such as marketing directors, trainers and purchasing agents.”
Brandt says smaller chain and individual store owners need to be aligned with strong suppliers that offer training and group discount programs for purchasing tires and parts. He believes that as a store owner, you need to be under some form of marketing umbrella.
“At corporate Tires Plus, before we sold, we were the umbrella,” he says. “As a licensee, we aligned ourselves under that same umbrella managed by Bridgestone/Firestone. There are many umbrellas out there. I feel you need to be under one of them to be successful.”
MTD: You have a strong retail background. How does TIA address the needs of retailers?
Brandt: I think the most important need that we meet for retailers is in training and education. TIA released the updated Automotive Tire Service (ATS) program this year and also launched the new advanced tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) Training Program. Both programs give technicians comprehensive training on passenger and light truck tire service including lifting, tire balancing, repairing, mounting/demounting/inflation, lug unit torque/clamping force and TPMS.
We have also released the 2011 version of our widely successful TPMS relearn procedures, as well as OE and popular aftermarket replacement part numbers and torque specs. Retailers who use our training programs and resources can reduce their liability and gain a competitive advantage with a qualified workforce.
We also have a new health insurance program for tire dealers. We continue to offer liability and workers’ comp insurance programs through our endorsed member benefit programs.
Sign up for our Enews and receive the latest news, trends, and product information right in your e-mail inbox.