K&M Tire’s Values Reflect Langhals' Values

Businesses often take on the personalities of their founders and/or owners. K&M Tire Inc. is no exception.

Years ago, Ken Langhals, MTD's 2025 Tire Dealer of the Year, defined what he calls K&M Tire’s “values,” which, in his words, “serve as both our foundation and our road map, guiding all of our decisions” and influencing how K&M Tire employees “work with our customers, business partners, communities and each other.” Here are K&M Tire’s values: 

Make the customer the most important person in our business. In everything we do, we must earn our customers’ business every day. We must deliver value to our customers by providing consistent and dependable service, high-quality products, competitive prices and programs and build trust and effective relationships.

Live with integrity, character and passion. Integrity is doing the right thing at all times, even if nobody is watching. Character is adhering to the highest ethical standards in all areas of our business. Passion is true enthusiasm about what we do and how we do it.

Develop trust and respect for each other and work together in a harmonious atmosphere. Trust and respect provide the foundation for all effective relationships, both professional and personal. In all decisions and interactions, we will be thoughtful and receptive to different opinions. We encourage creative solutions, listen and evaluate with care. Once a decision is made, we work together to deliver the best results.

Commit to the pursuit of perfection. Perfection is our goal as we work to exceed expectations in all of our business and in relationships with customers, suppliers and employees. While perfection is unattainable, we strive for continuous improvement in all we do, getting better every day.

Accept the urgency of accountability and change. Accountability requires an ownership mentality. If you see something that needs attention, own it and fix it. If you need help, ask immediately and help drive resolution. We must have a sense of urgency in everything we do, making progress every day. We understand that getting good with change is a true competitive advantage and one that we must own and commit to at all levels of our organization.

Possess a servant’s attitude. We have a responsibility to assist each other whenever possible. We define a servant’s attitude as helping people get to a higher level. We will work to cultivate an attitude of humility and modesty as we help each other along the way.

Make a positive difference in our community. Our community is defined as wherever we are or wherever people need support and assistance. We feel that each one of us has unique talents and gifts that truly do make a difference both locally and around the world. Be the change you want to see, be a good neighbor and help others.

Provide a fair deal for everyone. A fair deal means that the solution or approach is balanced and thoughtful and is good for everyone involved. Fairness is a value that is heavily weighted in all things we do. We strive for win-win solutions for our customers, suppliers, teammates and communities. 

Read about Ken Langhals, MTD’s 2025 Tire Dealer of the Year Award winner, here or in the digital edition of the September 2025 issue of MTD.