Lauren Young Tire Center Founder Dies

Lauren Young, founder of Lauren Young Tire Center in Roseburg, Ore., recently died. He was 92 years old.

In 1960, at the age of 28, Young, with no prior tire industry experience, mortgaged his family home for $8,500 and purchased an OK Rubber Welders service station in Lakeview, Ore.

Young soon became the third member of Les Schwab's Member Dealer program.

In 1969, he opened what would become the third Les Schwab location west of the Cascades, a store in Roseburg.

Lauren Young Tire Center, which remains family-owned and operated, now has four locations in Oregon.

"Throughout its growth, the business remained guided by Young’s belief that success was measured not only in sales, but in how people were treated," Scott Cameron, his son-in-law, told MTD.

"Young became widely respected for a people-first business philosophy that included profit sharing, open financial reporting and a retirement trust that matched 25% of an employee’s annual wage. For many longtime employees, that approach created opportunities for financial security in retirement."

In 2002, Young was inducted into the Northwest Tire Dealers Hall of Fame, recognizing his impact as an independent dealer and industry leader. 

He supported numerous local non-profits, including the Boys & Girls Club, Umpqua Community College, Wildlife Safari, the YMCA of Douglas County, the Douglas County Library and the Umpqua Valley Tennis Center, among others.

Lauren Young is survived by his wife of 74 years, Dena; daughters Carla (Scott) and Carmen; plus numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.