On Feb. 18, 1953, Sheldon Schmucker and his brother-in-law, Art Miller, wrote a check to the Standard Oil Co. for $215.08 for 1,000 gallons of gas. With that first payment, Millersburg Tire Service Inc. was off and running.
Two years later, the Millersburg, Ohio, dealership took on Firestone tires. Although a lot has changed since then — 21.5 cents a gallon for gas?! — the company’s foundation for success remains the same. The Schmucker family still owns the business, and continues to align itself with the Firestone brand.
Sheldon, 85, and Miller, 90, were on hand when Millersburg Tire recently held a three-day anniversary party presided over by Sheldon’s son, Brad. Millersburg Tire treated its retail, commercial and wholesale customers to prize giveaways, including Bridgestone and Firestone tires and free oil changes for a year. There also was plenty of homemade ice cream, donuts and popcorn to go around.
On Thursday, a local radio station broadcast live from the store. On Friday, a barbecue chicken dinner was followed by a concert of bluegrass music. On Saturday, Dan Patrick’s Samson Monster Truck crushed cars. Donations were accepted benefiting the Love Center Free Clinic and Haiti Relief Sale.
Brad, the company’s president, says the key to the family’s success is treating farmers and other customers the way each member of his family wants to be treated. “For example, we don’t raise our wholesale prices the day our suppliers raise tire prices. We try to give our dealers fair notice that our prices are going to go up.
“Here’s another example. We don’t raise snow tire prices when we see a blizzard coming.”
Brad, his wife, Diane, son, Brandon, and daughter, Brittany, run the company. Brad also has a brother, sister, brother-in-law and nephew in the business.
Originally a General tire dealership, Millersburg Tire still carries the brand, along with BFGoodrich, BKT, Carlisle, Continental, Cooper, Dunlop, Fuzion, Goodyear, Kelly, Mastercraft, Michelin, Samson and STA. The company inventories $2 million worth of tires on its five-acre lot. ■
