A 100-year-old business doesn't grow on rubber trees. In many cases, it takes a hard-working family to keep a business alive for that long.
Four generations of the Daniels family have made Daniels Tire Service Inc. a success since 1911. Here is their story. (Also see "Daniels Tire celebrates 100th birthday.")
Originally known as Whittier Vulcanizing, Daniels Tire Service was founded in 1911 by R.F. Daniels. The one man operation gradually grew, and in 1929 Arden G. Daniels assumed control of the company. Ten years later, in 1939, he established a business relationship with the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. -- a relationship that still exists today.
Daniels operates five commercial truck tire centers, seven automotive service centers, and a Goodyear retread plant. The business is still family owned, with a fourth generation of the Daniels family entering the business in 1993.
We are proud to say our growth at Daniels Tire Service is due to referrals from our satisfied customers. Our growth is also attributed to servicing the products we sell. We want our customers to receive full value from the products and services they purchase from Daniels Tire Service, and if we cannot guarantee a product, we will not sell it.
We continually reinvest in new equipment with state-of-the-art technology to maintain the highest standard of quality for our customers.
People are the backbone of our company -- and we have the finest in the tire industry dedicated to serving our customers.
At Daniels Tire Service, our management is personally involved with every aspect of daily business. Tire professionals will help you develop a total tire maintenance program for your fleet, large or small. Our employees are highly skilled and technically trained.
This year, we celebrate our 100-year anniversary. We are proud to have been in business as long as we have. This is only possible because we’re customer focused, and we operate with integrity and honesty. We don't just say this without proof. We know this to be true by our customers -- some of whom are third generation.
We want to personally thank all our customers who have made us a success through all of these years.[PAGEBREAK]
History
For 100 years, Daniels Tire Service has served Southern California through wars, floods, depression, earthquakes, and the great recession assuring Southern Californians of the best in quality and service.
The history of Daniels Tire Service is a family success story. Daniels was founded in 1911 by the late R.F. Daniels, who came to Whittier, Calif., from Pittsburgh and established Whittier Vulcanizing Works at 309 W. Philadelphia Street. His son, Arden Daniels, became active in the business in 1928.
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Larger quarters were needed as the business prospered, and they moved to 202 W. Hadley St. and Comstock Ave. Ten years later, another move was necessary to keep up with the growing business, and they moved to 400 Philadelphia Avenue. The Uptown Whittier facility acted as the main office for 23 years until 1961.
When Arden’s father, R.F. Daniels, left Pittsburgh in 1910, he finally landed in Anaheim, Calif., where his brother had a vulcanizing shop. The pioneering Daniels worked for his brother a short time, then went to Whittier and purchased a one man shop called Whittier Vulcanizing.
“In those days a tire shop was mostly a fix-it shop. The big income was derived from patching tubes,” Arden said. “There weren’t many vehicles in those days, but there was plenty of work in the tire business.”
He recalls his father was the one who introduced the gas pump to Whittier.
“It was one of those one-gallon pumps. You pumped a gallon at a time -- by hand -- and drained it into the customer’s tank. Those were the days when an exceptional tire was one that ran 1,000 miles before it was worn out.”
Arden became president of Daniels Tire Service at the age of 22, practically on the eve of the Great Depression. “I thought the bottom fell out of the whole world,” he said, “but you know, we did some growing during the depression.”
Then in 1939, on the eve of World War II and shortly after Arden’s father left the tire business, Arden Daniels joined the Goodyear fold as a dealer. Prior to this time, Daniels Tire Service was a Firestone dealer. However, due to a 49/51 percent ownership structure, Arden decided he wanted to wholly own his business -- a decision and legacy that would continue far beyond his lifetime.
“When the Japanese hit Pearl Harbor, I thought the bottom had fallen out of the whole world again,” Arden said.
But his company continued to prosper despite tight times during the war. It blossomed during the ‘50’s and ‘60’s as the company expanded into the A-2, off-the-road tire sales and service.
This philosophy has been a link to our past, and the vision for the future. “Anyone can sell a tire, but our secret to our success is that we sell the total program, the tire, the service, and the retreading. We want to provide it all.”
Starting in 1967, Daniels Tire Service took on locations in multiple states and countries. Daniels Tire Service had mining tire operations in New Mexico, Wyoming, and Canada. Those operations were sold some years later to finance the commercial truck tire expansion in Southern California, with the opening of its Riverside and San Diego locations. It was also the year Doug and Barry Daniels entered the business -- involving themselves with the day-to-day operations and running the business alongside their father, Arden Daniels.
In March of 1972, Daniels opened a retail store in Downey California. As part of the grand opening, the world’s largest tire produced by Goodyear was on display. The $43,000, 3.5-ton tire stood 11.5 feet tall. Capable of handling 111,000 pound loads, the 60-ply tire contained enough nylon to stretch from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City -- a distance of 580 miles. The material in just one tire could make 580 tires in its day. The tire was on display for three weeks.
Ten years after the store’s grand opening in 1967, La Habra added a new RV service center. A twin post, 12-ton hoist was unveiled to service motor homes. Wheel balancing equipment and an alignment rack were debuted as well.
The first retreads were sold by Daniels Tire Service in 1942. In 1987, Daniels Tire Service ended a 21-year association with Bandag. Having been a Goodyear dealer for 41 years, the decision was made to convert to Goodyear’s Constant Performance Retread System -- a decision that proved to be an excellent move for the company.
In 1987, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake, known as the Whittier Earthquake, struck in the morning hours only 3.2 miles from Daniels corporate headquarters. The company also had two other stores in the area. The only damage was a few cracks in the walls, and a couple tire stacks fell over. “Considering all the damage others had, we consider ourselves very lucky,” said Doug Daniels.
From 1911 to 1928, R.F. Daniels operated the business with one employee. Today, Daniels employs more than 135 people. The business is now directed by a third generation, the sons of Arden Daniels.
Douglas A. Daniels is the chairman and CEO, and Barry Daniels is the executive vice president and CFO. A fourth generation is working in the business with Arden D. Daniels as the executive vice president of commercial operations, and John B. Daniels as the executive vice president of administration and consumer operations.
Roy F. Daniels passed away in 1959.
Arden G Daniels passed away in 1989.
