Tire Discounters Inc. has hired Sarah Stimson to be executive vice president of talent. She comes to Tire Discounters from Cincinnati, Ohio-based Procter & Gamble Co.
Stimson will be responsible for attracting, developing and retaining the company’s best talent. She spent the last two decades working at Procter & Gamble, where she was the functional leader of more than 1,300 North American-based marketers and oversaw every facet of talent management including recruiting, staffing, advancement, training, diversity and culture.
Tire Discounters says it is following in the footsteps of Fortune 500 companies like Pure Genius and Google as it dedicates resources to talent management.
“We are extremely excited to have Sarah join our team,” says Tire Discounters CEO Paul Brunner. “Her extensive experience in identifying, attracting and retaining top-tier talent is crucial to our company’s success as we continue to rapidly expand our business.”
Tire Discounters employs more than 1,100 people in almost 100 stores and seven major cities across Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee. The company is poised for more growth as it opens new stores. In the Greater Nashville, Tenn., area, Tire Discounters expects to have up to 150 jobs created by 2016 and another 60 jobs in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Company's goal is to be preferred employer
The company says Stimson’s hiring demonstrates a forward-thinking enhancement when it comes to employee-focused programs in the industry, most notably for those working in stores.
“We’ve wanted to offer our employees increased scheduling flexibility for many years now,” says Jamie Ward, executive vice president of sales and operations. “We are now rolling out more flexible work schedules for all of our staff, and we are excited Sarah is here to help ensure its success. We now have a variety of schedule options, including a five-day workweek and will remain closed on Sundays.”
As expansion continues, Tire Discounters is focused on building upon an increasingly diverse employee base. In her new role, Stimson will report directly to Brunner and becomes the second woman on the Tire Discounters executive leadership team, strategically carrying on the company’s commitment to diversity and talent development.
“As a family owned and operated company, we’ve grown our reputation on quality products and outstanding customer service,” Brunner says. “Sarah is leading the charge to recruit and retain employees who have a passion for both. Developing a more diverse workforce is important to us.
"While our industry has been male-dominated for decades, it’s starting to evolve. It’s a priority for us to recruit and retain more women and minorities; we believe our new employee-focused programs that Sarah is helping to create, roll out and enhance will make Tire Discounters the preferred employer within the industry.”
Established in 1976, the company has remained under the same private ownership under the leadership of Chip Wood. Tire Discounters is No. 9 on the MTD 100.
