The Tire Choice: retail dealership fast facts
2012 sales: $51 million.
Percent tire sales: 40%.
No. of stores:35.
Average store size: 6,200 square feet (some prototypes are 7,200).
Service bays: 310.
No. of employees: 350.
Technicians:96 (40% are ASE-certified; 19 are “lead techs”).
Vehicles serviced per month: 20,000-plus.
Tires sold per store per day:16-18.
Tires sold overall, per week: 4,165 (open 362 days a year).
Direct lines: Bridgestone, Firestone, Yokohama, Michelin, BFGoodrich, Uniroyal, Pirelli.
Wholesale suppliers: American Tire Distributors Inc., TCi, South Dade Automotive Inc.
Affiliations: American Car Care Centers, Bridgestone Affiliated Retailer Nationwide Network.
Average monthly parts purchases: $800,000-plus.
Couples ‘therapy’: The pros and cons of working together
Bob and Juanita Purcell, owners of Purcell Tire & Rubber Co. in Potosi, Mo., were the first couple to win the Tire Dealer of the Year Award. That was back in 2004.
They are a team of equals, very much like Modern Tire Dealer’s 2013 winners, Dan and Diane Hennelly, the second couple to win the award.
What does it take to run a business as a married couple? Can you be together too much? Here are the pros and cons, courtesy of the Purcells.
Advantages of working with your husband/wife
1. The drive to work becomes a board meeting.
2. You always know what is going on within the company.
3. You can share problems and problem solving.
4. When you come up with new ideas, you have someone to bounce them off of.
5. You can handle employee problems together.
6. There is an understanding of why it is necessary to work late and weekends.
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Disadvantages of working with your husband/wife
1. More time is spent talking about problems than all the good things happening.
2. You don’t always agree on how to solve a problem, and with two strong-willed people, compromise may be difficult.
One Minute Managing: Be transparent with your goals and feedback
“The One Minute Manager” by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson is one of Dan Hennelly’s favorite books. Its message is relatively simple: “Effective managers manage themselves and the people they work with so that both the organization and the people profit from their presence.”
There are three “secrets” to one-minute management.
1. One Minute Goal Setting. According to the authors, each goal and its performance standard “should take no more than 250 words to express.” They should be in writing so the employees not only know what is expected of them, but also have something against which they can compare their performances.
2. One Minute Praising. The key is trying to catch an employee “doing something right.” When that happens, give praise right away (“be specific”) and emphasize how good behavior positively affects the company. A handshake is important; so is briefly touching people as a sign of support (unless it is deemed inappropriate).
3. One Minute Reprimand. Before chastising anyone, check the facts because “you never give a reprimand based on hearsay.” Also let the employee know how you feel, whether you are angry, disappointed, frustrated, etc. The first half of the reprimand should focus on, in no uncertain terms, how the employee is performing. The second half should emphasize that you are only attacking behavior, not the person or his or her value to the company.
