Gain Traction

Wes Boling is the Senior Communications and Content Manager for Nokian Tyres , where he helps explain product innovation, dealer education, and the company’s North American story. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, he has been with Nokian Tyres for nearly eight years and joined the company as it prepared to open its North American production factory in Dayton, Tennessee. Before entering the tire indus...

Brad Templin is the owner of Scott’s U-Save Tires & Auto Repair, a four-store tire and auto repair business serving Indiana and Illinois. His family’s automotive roots go back more than a century, starting with a parts distributorship in Chicagoland before the next generation moved into the tire and auto repair side of the industry. Brad returned to the business after studying aerospace engine...

Brad Griffin owns Griffin Tire and Auto, with two locations in Charlotte, North Carolina. His family has done business in Charlotte since 1961, the Berkshire location has operated since 1989, and Brad is the third generation around the business. The shops have shifted toward commercial and fleet accounts while continuing to serve retail customers. Brad has made his shops competitive on tire pricin...

Tim Szabo is the owner and president of Trail Tire stores in Edmonton, Alberta, and Hoosier Tire Western Canada. He grew up working in his father’s repair shop, became a journeyman technician at 21, and has spent nearly three decades in the automotive industry. His experience spans vehicle repair, shop operations, customer service, and business ownership. That background gives him a clear view of...

Jim Noblitt is the District Manager at Auto Care USA in Houston, Texas, with more than four decades of automotive experience. He entered the industry in 1979 as a mechanic’s helper, advanced into technician and dealership roles, and later helped launch Cornerstone Automotive; a business that contributed to the early operating model behind Christian Brothers Automotive. Noblitt went on to build and...

John Kairys is the Executive Director of the Automotive Aftermarket Charitable Foundation (AACF) , a position he has held for the past two and a half years. Before stepping into the role, he served on the AACF board, giving him deep organizational context from both a governance and operational standpoint. Kairys brings more than 40 years of experience in the automotive aftermarket to the foundatio...

Komal Choong is the co-founder of Tire Pig, an AI-powered tire shopping platform, and Zohr, a mobile tire installation service operating in Kansas City and Dallas-Fort Worth. Born in India and raised in Kansas City, Komal and his brother cut their teeth in the restaurant business before turning a shared obsession with cars into a venture; flipping parts, then full vehicles, then launching Zohr in...

Jesse Jackson is the co-founder and operator of Mango Automotive, a multi-location auto repair group running eight shops across Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. After a career in software, Jesse pivoted into the trades alongside her partner Brian, building Mango into a regional operator focused on acquiring auto repair shops from retiring owners whose businesses are already profitable but under-mar...

Jim Sennett is the manager of repair programs at AAA (American Automobile Association), where he oversees the Approved Auto Repair network of roughly 6,000 shops across the country, about 5,000 independents and 1,000 dealerships, along with the club's emerging technologies work on EVs and hybrids. He came up through Goodyear, starting as a tire changer and working through alignment tech, service a...

Joe Happel, Desiree Elliott, Steve Towers, Charlie Alexander, Tim & Terri Hollander, and Gary Skidmore represent a cross-section of some of the most experienced operators and leaders within Big O Tires. From Hall of Fame-level leadership and second-generation ownership to multi-state expansion and corporate strategy, each brings decades of real-world experience in building, scaling, and sustai...

Peter Greenberg — owner of City Tire Co ., a business operating since 1927 with a long-standing presence in retail, commercial, and retread segments. With decades of industry experience, he brings a strong perspective on vendor relationships, buying group strategy, and the operational decisions shaping how independent tire dealers compete today. David Zeller — owner of Zeller Tire & Auto Cente...

Jeff Webster is the owner of Take Ten Tire Service , with nearly three decades in the tire industry. He has expanded his operations beyond Oklahoma through recent acquisitions and is an active member of the Independent Tire Dealers Group, where he values long-term relationships and peer collaboration. Josh Porter is the owner of Lex Brodie’s Tire Company on the Big Island of Hawaii, where he opera...

Phil Carpenter is the Director of Operations at Urban Autocare and Avalon Motorsports , overseeing seven locations in the Denver, Colorado area. He began his career as a technician and became the first employee in what was once a two-person shop, eventually helping grow the business into a 55-person operation. His experience spans every stage of scaling an auto repair shop; from turning wrenches t...

Adam Dixon is the Director of Operations at Urbs Garage , a multi-location auto repair business serving the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky markets. He built his career from the ground up as a technician before moving into leadership, where he developed and implemented scalable systems that drive consistent performance across locations. His hands-on experience across dealerships, independent shop...

David Manley is the Managing Editor of Tire Business, where he covers the trends, policy shifts, and operational challenges shaping the tire and automotive repair industry. With more than two decades in journalism across photography, writing, and editing, he brings a well-rounded perspective on how industry changes impact shop owners on the ground. His work consistently highlights the growing tens...

Nick Fox is a Pro Service Coach and Facilitator with Elite Worldwide and a former multi-location auto repair shop owner. After helping grow and operate his family’s automotive service business for more than a decade, Fox sold the operation and transitioned into coaching independent shop owners across North America. His work centers around helping operators improve leadership, operations, and profi...

Matt Gibbons is the Sales Director at Ozarko Tire Centers, one of the largest commercial tire distributors in Missouri and Arkansas, operating 12 locations and multiple retread facilities. With more than a decade of experience in the commercial tire industry and previous roles working with Michelin North America, Gibbons has built his reputation helping fleets improve operational performance throu...

Eddie Butler is the owner of Butler Automotive, a multi-location auto repair business based in Augusta, Georgia. Raised in a family garage environment, he combined hands-on shop experience with formal business education to steadily expand operations over several decades while maintaining financial discipline and brand consistency; a real-world example of auto repair business longevity. Under his l...

John Kairys is the Executive Director of the Automotive Aftermarket Charitable Foundation, bringing more than 40 years of experience across retail, wholesale, franchising, and distribution in the automotive aftermarket. He now leads efforts focused on providing financial assistance and support to industry professionals facing personal hardship. Orlando Mangual is the owner of Mangual Enterprises a...

Tony Gonzalez is the Chairman, Founder, and CEO of Tire Group International (TGI) , a global tire distribution and manufacturing company behind Cosmo Tires. His career traces back to a multigenerational tire business rooted in the 1940s, giving him decades of hands-on experience in product development, brand positioning, distribution, and dealer partnerships across the automotive aftermarket. Know...

Mitch Bruneel serves as President of Retail Operations at Gill’s Point S Tire, where he focuses on employee development, customer experience, and operational growth within a family business rooted in the tire industry for generations. His leadership reflects a commitment to collaborative learning and the shared culture that defines the Point S dealer community. Walter Lybeck is CEO of Point S Tire...

Eric Raber is the owner of ER Autocare , a multi-location auto repair business with four locations in the Columbus, Ohio area. With roots in agricultural mechanics and early hands-on experience working alongside his father, Eric built his technical foundation long before opening his first shop. Over the years, Eric has navigated shop growth, rebranding, hiring challenges, and operational scaling f...

Bryan Call is an Operations Advisor at Schierl Tire & Service , a multi-location tire and automotive service operation with seven stores across Central Wisconsin. With more than 30 years in the industry, Bryan has worked his way up from technical training and shop-level roles into leadership, giving him a ground-level and long-term view of how the business has evolved. In his current role, Bry...

Tim Winkeler is the President and CEO of VIP Tires & Service , a multi-location tire and auto repair company operating nearly 80 locations across the Northeast. With decades of experience in automotive retail and operations, Tim has played a key role in scaling the business through disciplined growth, strategic acquisitions, and a strong focus on operational consistency. Under his leadership,...

Jon Kloosterman is the Chief Operating Officer of Westside Auto Group, a six-location auto repair organization based in Michigan. With more than 17 years in the business, Jon has grown alongside the company, stepping into the COO role in early 2020 during one of the most disruptive periods the industry has faced. Having experienced growth from the ground level through executive leadership, Jon bri...