When Rich and his wife, Mary Rogenski, opened the doors to their tire dealership under a new name, Legacy Tire & Auto Repair, their goal was simply to keep going. One year later, they’re doing far more than that.
“We made it,” says Mary.
Legacy Tire & Auto Repair has not only reestablished itself in the Youngstown, Ohio, market. It has surged into growth mode, with expansion plans already taking shape.
Big investments
Legacy Tire & Auto Repair operates out of a three-building property with 10 service bays and a team of seven employees, handling a mix of retail and fleet work.
About 60% of the dealership’s business is retail, servicing about 10 cars a day, with the remainder coming from fleets that include electrical contractors, HVAC companies, Head Start buses and local organizations like Easterseals.
The company carries a focused but strategic tire brand line-up, offering Kenda as its primary line, Fortune as its price-point option and the Goodyear, Kelly and Cooper brands.
The dealership’s position as a Goodyear dealer has allowed it to capture new business, as the Youngstown area has focused on keeping money in the city since its new mayor, Derrick McDowell, took office in January, according to Rich.
“The police department wanted to buy local,” says Rich. “They want to support the community and they approached me. This was during the transition on the Goodyear program, so we didn't really get it rolling until the first of the year. Since that time, I've been supplying the Youngstown Police Department with Goodyear Pursuit tires.”
On the service side, the shop has leaned heavily into diagnostics and general repair, supported by significant reinvestment.
“We have spent a lot on equipment and technology — I would say probably upwards of $75,000,” says Rich.
Much of that push has come from the next generation. The Rogenskis’ son, Brian, has helped modernize operations with new scan tools, programming capabilities and upgraded shop connectivity.
‘New friends’
Legacy Tire & Auto Repair found its footing quickly. “April and May were okay months last year, but from then on, sales have just been beyond my expectations,” says Rich.
“It’s been amazing,” Mary adds.
To promote the dealership, the Rogenskis’ daughter, Stephanie Dubbs, rented a billboard last August on Mahoning Avenue, the road Legacy Tire is located on and a major county road linking nearby Austintown, Ohio, to Youngstown. It brought customers back to the store.
Today, Legacy Tire & Auto Repair’s customer base is composed of 60% repeat customers and 40% new customers — or “new friends,” according to Mary. Many of the Rogenskis’ new friends have become repeat customers.
“The acceptance by the community and just the way they've supported us and the sales are phenomenal — beyond our wildest dreams, really,” says Rich.
‘Put them at ease’
In a highly competitive corridor — where multiple tire dealerships, a used tire shop and a big-box retailer all operate within a few miles — Rich says Legacy Tire & Auto Repair’s edge isn’t price alone. It’s trust.
“People trust us. When we make a recommendation, they believe in us.”
That trust is built from the moment customers walk through the door. Customers can count on a warm greeting, a wave and a big smile from Legacy Tire & Auto Repair’s service manager, Wayne Thomas, when they enter the shop.
“That’s how we greet people,” says Rich. “Talk to them and it puts them at ease.”
Transparency is central to Legacy Tire & Auto Repair’s sales process. Customers are shown the full scope of repairs, then are guided through priorities based on safety, urgency and budget.
“We'll take all the time that we need to explain to them what their car needs and why it needs it,” says Rich. “We stress to the technicians, ‘The first thing you do on a car after you do your digital inspection is address the customer's concern.’”
That approach is especially important in a market like Youngstown, where affordability plays a major role.
“Per capita income here is around $25,000 a year,” Rich says. “So we had to bring our pricing in line with what could be afforded by our customers.”
The dealership adjusted by slightly lowering labor rates and tightening margins, while maintaining a strong average repair order. It has also implemented financing options to help customers manage larger repairs.
Community roots
Developing trust doesn’t only happen inside the shop. Legacy Tire & Auto Repair has leaned heavily into community involvement.
The business participates in local parades, supports fundraisers and sponsors events like the “Once a Cowboy, Always a Cowboy” golf outing, which helps graduates of nearby Chaney High School who are facing hardship.
That visibility has reinforced something the Rogenski family has spent decades building: recognition. Rich “is the face of the company,” said Mary.
Even outside the area, that recognition carries. “We’ve been in airports on vacation and customers recognize him,” she says. “It’s just what happens.”
Growth mode
After spending the last year establishing Legacy Tire & Auto Repair’s business, the Rogenskis' focus has shifted. The dealership is preparing to expand both its capabilities and its footprint.
A fourth building is already in the works, with plans to add advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) calibration, a growing need that many independent tire dealerships have yet to fully address.
“That’s the future and that’s something we need to be doing,” says Rich.
At the same time, the shop is exploring opportunities to handle larger fleet vehicles. “I’m looking for a building where we can pull a bus into and run it up on a lift,” he says.
Rich is currently eyeing a vacant lot right next to Legacy Tire & Auto Repair for the expansion, as he continues to lean into service and fleet work, where demand continues to grow.
Long-term, the Rogenskis’ goal is to keep the business in the family. We wanted to leave it to our son, grandkids and our daughter,” Mary says.
In many ways, that transition is already underway. While Rich remains the face of the business, Brian is driving much of the operational and technological evolution behind the scenes.
“He does most of that now,” Rich says. “I’m just the window dressing, more or less.”
The combination of experience up front and innovation behind it has positioned Legacy Tire & Auto Repair for its next phase.
“It’s almost frightening,” Rich says, referring to how quickly Legacy Tire & Auto Repair has grown.
But for now, the focus remains on what got them here: customers, community and consistency. And one year in, Legacy Tire & Auto Repair is setting the foundation for the next chapter of its success.
About the Author
Sara Welch
Managing Editor
Sara Welch is Modern Tire Dealer's managing editor. She is an award-winning journalist who covered agriculture in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia for 10 years and sports for five years before coming to MTD.