Meet Mark Rhodes
Full name: Mark Elwin Rhodes
Age: 54
Birthplace: Fredericktown, Mo.
Education: Attended the University of Missouri.
Family: A father of three: Sam, 22, Zach, 20, and Madelyn, who turns 6 this month.
Siblings: Older sister Kelly Holloway, and a younger brother, Scott Rhodes
What’s your advice for a new tire dealer? Hard work pays off. Take care of your employees and customers.
What’s your morning routine? Get up between 6 and 6:30 a.m., shower and get dressed, do things around the house and arrive at work by around 7:30 or 8 a.m.
What’s the best part of your job? Having success day to day. Seeing when you launch a promotion that really works, or when you promote people and it really works well.
What’s the worst part of your job? Having to end a relationship with an employee.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I’d be more organized and more digitally savvy. I missed that by five or six years. I know enough to be dangerous.
If your brother could change one thing about you, what would it be? That I’d be even older.
If you could be anything but a tire dealer, what would you be? A cowboy.
If there were no financial constraints, what’s one change you’d immediately make to your business? I’d have zero debt, and provide better benefits for our employees.
The best way to spend a day off is: playing golf with friends, working around the house, and grilling in the backyard.What is your biggest regret? Not serving in the military.
What’s your guilty pleasure? Sneaking off to a Cardinals day game during the week. I always feel guilty when I’m not here. That’s how mom and dad raised us.
In school you earned the best grades in: history.
What would your high school friends say about you now? That I haven’t changed.
What’s your life motto? The harder you work, the luckier you get.
Who would be the best celebrity to portray you in a movie? Kevin Costner. “He’s not quite as dynamic as I am.”
If you had been a movie star, what movie and role do you wish you could have had? Kevin Costner in Tin Cup.
Something most people don’t know about you is: I’m a horrible speller, and I sometimes purposefully misspell words.
What’s been your biggest success in the tire business? The recognition our employees, family and company get from being named Tire Dealer of the Year.
What’s your favorite childhood memory? When I was a kid we took long, Chevy Chase-like vacations. To my dad it wasn’t about what we saw, it was how fast and how far we traveled.
Your favorite meal is: steak and potatoes.
What’s your favorite hidden gem in Cape Girardeau? The Pilot House, a barbecue dive.
If we took away your cell phone on a Monday morning, how long could you conduct business without it? If I could get to my office, I could do it, but it might slow things down.
What’s something your dad taught you about the tire business? Hustle. Be aggressive and treat people the way you’d want to be treated.
Meet Scott Rhodes
Full name: Scott Michael Rhodes
Age: 46
Birthplace: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Education: Graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in 1995 with a general studies degree.
Family: Married to Samantha, and father of Annabelle, 9, and Addison, 5.
Siblings: Older sister Kelly Holloway and older brother Mark Rhodes.
What’s your advice for a new tire dealer? You have to have inventory, and you have to get people in and out.
If you could pick your superpower, what would it be? To clone good people.
What’s your morning routine? During the school year the kids are out the door at 7:30 a.m. and I leave with them.
What’s the best part of your job? Watching employees succeed.
What’s the worst part of your job? Sometimes things with employees don’t work out. They don’t want it as much as we want it for them.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I’d try to be healthier.
If your brother could change one thing about you, what would it be? I don’t know why he’d want to change anything about me.
If you could be anything but a tire dealer, what would you be? I can’t imagine not being in some type of business that I owned.
If there were no financial constraints, what’s one change you’d immediately make to your business? Reward employees more.
The best way to spend a day off is: at the lake with my family.
What’s your guilty pleasure? Cars and travel.
What is your biggest regret? I didn’t go away to college.
In school you earned the best grades in: marketing and business classes.
What would your high school friends say about you now? Throughout high school and college I was engrained in the business, so they probably wouldn’t be surprised.
What’s your life motto? Do what you say.
Who would be the best celebrity to portray you in a movie? Will Farrell. (He had to call his wife, Sam, on this one.)
Something most people don’t know about you is: Seems like everybody knows everything.
What’s been your biggest success in the tire business? That Mark and I have been able to work together and continue to grow the business successfully.
What’s your favorite childhood memory? Spending time at Kentucky Lake.
Your favorite meal is: any meal with friends and family.
What’s your favorite hidden gem in Cape Girardeau? My backyard.
If we took away your cell phone on a Monday morning, how long could you conduct business without it? If I was in the office and had a computer and a landline, I could make it. Otherwise, not long at all, and I’d be stuck at my desk all day.
What’s something your dad taught you about the tire business? You have to have product ready to sell when the customer comes in, and you’ve got to get them in and out.
