Brimfield Tire & Auto Looks Ahead

Ten years have gone by since Dan Delong took a leap of faith and decided to take over a local tire dealership in northeast Ohio.

Growing Brimfield Tire & Auto Repair, a small, independent tire dealership in Kent, Ohio, that offers a range of new and used tires and numerous auto services, wasn’t a solo job. He brought his family along for the ride.

"It’s a family affair,” says Andrea Delong, Dan’s wife of 33 years who runs the business side of the shop. Their sons, Aidan and Alex, lead the daily operations with their dad. 

The business has come a long way from when the family first opened Brimfield Tire & Auto Repair at its old location, the site of a rundown gas station. 

A fresh start

Dan got involved in the tire industry while serving as a manager at a local tire shop over a decade ago. After gaining more experience, he opened his own independent tire dealership, Brimfield Tire & Auto Repair.

"Our first place was very small,” says Dan. “We didn’t even have a big four-post lift like we have here and it was just too tight.”

Despite working in tight quarters, the Delong family moved ahead, positioning their dealership as a one-stop shop, providing tires for passenger cars, trailers, campers and some commercial vehicles, as well as brake repairs, steering and suspension work and much more.

Around last October, they made the move to a larger building a mile up the street after 10 years of building their reputation and customer base. 

The new space – which includes a waiting area and front desk, an office and a garage for service work – has allowed the business to scale up and increase the number of jobs it completes each day.

As a completely independent tire dealership that has built its clientele largely through word of mouth, Dan says creating long-term relationships and having a service-focused approach is what has made Brimfield Tire successful. 

"Having any type of business, if you’re honest, if you treat people well, you ask questions and do a good job, people will want to come back.”

It's Dan’s infectious energy and warm presence, though, that draws customers, say Andrea and Aidan.

"People call here and they’re like, ‘Is Dan there? Let me talk with Dan.’ Everybody wants to talk to him,” says Aidan. “He’s everybody’s buddy.”

The family says that despite having to compete with bigger chains that enjoy more resources and buying power, they’re staying focused on meeting people where they are, educating drivers about their vehicle and tire needs and treating customers with kindness.

"If there’s an elderly lady or a customer who needs extra help and they live nearby and it’s going to take a while, we’ll take them home, pick them up and bring them back when their job is done,” says Andrea. 

Leveling up 

Allowing Aidan and Alex to bring their talents to the family business has taken Brimfield Tire to the next level, Dan and Andrea say. 

Aidan, who now mostly takes the lead on auto service repairs, worked at the shop off and on as a teenager. After going to college for graphic arts and design, he decided to bring his skills to his dad’s dealership full-time. 

"I was able to build our website, and we started being able to have an online scheduling software,” says Aidan. “Before that, we were still writing things out old-school style, so we were able to modernize things and it’s worked out.” 

The new website – which allows people to order from a catalog of tires online, schedule services and request a quote for repairs – offers customers a simplified experience and has boosted growth for the business, the family says.

"Especially since we moved to this new shop, there’s been a lot of people that call and say, ‘Hey, I saw your website and I saw these tires on your website,’ so we’ve gotten a lot of calls like that,” says Aidan.

Though many customers have an idea of the tires they want, the Delongs always ask customers if they have any specific brand preferences, a certain mileage range or an ideal price range. This allows them to pinpoint the tire features that matter to each driver and make sure they make the decision that meets their needs.

Once a new tire order is placed, the shop can usually stock them and install them on a customer’s vehicle within a day.

In another effort to set their dealership apart, Brimfield Tire says it offers free installation with every tire purchase, including dismounting, mounting, balancing and disposal as part of all tire prices. The Delong family also says they will rotate any set of four tires purchased for free for the tires’ lifetime, which has also attracted customers.

"We’ve always done that,” says Dan. “When people are looking to buy tires, they want them installed. If you go to bigger tire chains, (some) list the tire price, disposal price and all these extra charges, but here, that’s all included and it’s not confusing.”  

Looking ahead 

As the Delongs continue to expand, they hope to move into the larger unit in the back of their current building, which is owned by the retired owners of a masonry business, in the near future. 

Brimfield Tire also hopes to grow its team by eventually hiring more technicians and service providers, according to Dan.

As they set new goals, the family says they appreciate the friends and lifelong customers they’ve made over the years.

"We’ve been around here a long time and we know a lot of people,” says Dan. "The town of Kent is also growing, so there are plenty of opportunities to keep us working.”