Gain Traction

Kyle Blankenhorn came to Ken’s Tire as a tire changer after serving as a small town Iowa police officer and working for TSA at the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids. His grandparents founded Ken’s Tire, with three locations in eastern Pennsylvania, and Kyle — who has managed two of the stores — is now helping run the successful third-generation business. He attributes the success of Ken’s Tire...

Samuel Felberbaum is President at Prinx Chengshan Tire. He came to Prinx from Toyo Tires, where he was the Director of Sales for eight years. His passion is in helping companies set up and implement marketing initiatives that increase customer growth, improve retention, and drive revenue. Samuel is a big sports enthusiast, especially when it comes to the New York Yankees. In this episode… What is...

Chris Talevi is Vice President of Sales at PayTomorrow, a fintech company with a unique financing model designed to offer a full credit spectrum platform for businesses to offer to their consumers. Chris was Ticket Office Manager at Davidson College, his alma mater, before becoming a part-time tire changer in NASCAR with Stewart-Haas Racing. He joined PayTomorrow in 2016 as a Senior Account Repres...

Jay Adams is President at MaddenCo, widely recognized as an industry leader for tire industry software. He started working in sales there in the late 90s after graduating from Wabash College with a history degree. After two years, Jay left for law school and then worked as an attorney for four years before returning to MaddenCo in 2006. In this episode… What should tire and auto repair shops consi...

Jürgen Lobach is Chief Fleet Officer at FINN, overseeing the acquisition management and remarketing of over 20,000 vehicles. With more than 30 years of experience in the mobility sector, Jürgen is considered a proven and experienced industry expert. He spent almost two decades at Choice GmbH, an automotive provider. Immanuel Klaiber is Head of Subscription Pricing and TCO at FINN where he is respo...

Brian Beers is President at Prenlyn Automotive and the podcast host of Business with Beers . He has grown his small family franchise auto repair business into an enterprise with thirty locations. Currently, Brian’s mission is to teach people how to create freedom and build wealth by owning franchises. In this episode… For those interested in becoming an automotive industry franchisee, what are som...

Joe McDonald is Vice President of Sales at Jasper Engines & Transmissions. With more than thirty years of experience in the automotive aftermarket industry, Joe is skilled in team building, account management, leadership, planning, and sales processes. He began his career in the rental car industry and has been with Jasper since 1996. In this episode… How do you build a culture where your cust...

Craig O’Neill is Vice President of Training at Autoflow, formerly Autotext.me. Starting at a young age, Craig gained priceless experience at his family’s transmission shop, serving in a variety of roles including Service Manager, Technician and Business Manager. Craig’s greatest interest is in technology and since 2018, when he joined Autoflow, he has developed training processes to support shops...

Angie Oleson is Business Lead at Firestone Direct, the largest mobile tire and service company in the United States. She has led and managed its business operations since it was launched by Bridgestone Americas in 2021. With an ability to translate strategic goals into concrete tactics, Angie has a track record of positively impacting business performance. In this episode… Is there a business or t...

James Krakower is the Director of System Development at JMK Computerized Tire Dealer Information System. He has an extensive background in technology, and his operations experience has provided him with the ability to discern what works and what doesn’t work on a day-to-day basis. James started his career in academics leading a graduate course on how to market tires. In this episode… Are tire and...

Kevin Marley is Managing Director at E-Solution Professionals, who has been developing e-commerce software for the tire industry since 2001. He has worked in the tire industry for more than four decades. Throughout his career, Kevin has worked in positions including store manager, warehouse manager, State Manager for Toyo Tires, and Regional Manager for Goodyear Australia. In this episode… In an i...

Charles Bonfiglio is CEO at Tint World, a privately-owned window tinting and vehicle accessory center. His areas of expertise include leading automotive companies to maximize profits and market share, along with franchising, e-commerce, web design, software development, and financial management. Charles is also Founder of Cars Cafe and Auto Parts Network, and previously served as CEO and Franchise...

Kent Coleman is the Owner of eleven Big O Tire stores in northern Utah and various other commercial properties. He has the ability to ask the right questions to get to the root of an issue and solve problems. As a result, even though Kent is not an avid car enthusiast, his Big O Tire stores are some of the highest-producing in the nation. Kent is also author of the book It’s Not About the Mangos ....

Mike Edge is the Director of Business Development at Tread Partners. He has had a lengthy career in his field, having previously been the Owner and Business Development expert for Resource Connection Inc., Director of Business Development at Upright Communications, and Owner of T.M. Edge, Inc. In this episode… What is the best group of potential customers a tire dealer could possibly reach out to?...

Tony DeSimone is Executive Director at New England Tire and Service Association (NETSA) and Business Development Manager at TD Consultants. He has led NETSA to be a well-known, active, and growing association representing thousands of members. Tony previously served as president of NETSA before becoming executive director in February 2018. In this episode… If you own a tire and auto repair shop, a...

John Ward is E-commerce Manager at Allen Rubber Co and is Owner and President at Ward Media Services LLC. As the owner of a digital marketing agency with a history of working in the automotive industry, John is skilled in store management, inventory management and customer satisfaction. He’s also a lifelong competitive hockey player. In this episode… Can you make a profit buying and selling discon...

Jay Condrick is the Owner at Boston Mobile Tire. He has worked in sales and marketing for more than 15 years and has owned Boston Mobile Tire, a direct-to-consumer tire business, since February 2020. Jay has been involved in endurance racing and is a racer in ChampCar. In this episode… Is online tire shopping and service the wave of the future? For customers of Boston Mobile Tire, the future is no...

Darren McLea is a Business Development Consultant at Molloy Sales Development Group, where he consults with business owners to help identify and implement solutions in their business for training, performance, communication, operational standards, and more. After starting out as a “cleanup kid” changing tires and fixing flats in high school, Darren went on to become the Executive Vice President an...

Kim McMahon is the President of McMahon's Best-One Tire, which has five locations, one distribution center and one retread facility. She is one of just a few top female executives at tire dealerships in North America and recently won the Humanitarian of the Year award from Tire Business Magazine. She has a banking and financial background and believes culture is more valuable for a company than st...

Quinton Molnar is the Director of Marketing and Business Development and the Director of Human Resources at Ward Tirecraft. He’s been a management trainee, marketer, and IT guy for Ward Tirecraft, and his unique set of skills comes from performing similar roles across multiple industries. Quinton prides himself on turning an average customer experience into an exemplary one. In this episode… As an...

Matthew Peters is the Business Development Manager at Tread Partners. He joined Tread Partners in November 2022 after serving in the same role at Tireweb Marketing for more than three years and at Icon Internet Media for nearly two years. Having worked in the tire industry for more than 30 years, Matthew possesses a wealth of knowledge and experience. In this episode… As a B2B business owner, how...

Larry Sutton is the Founder and President of RNR Tire Express, a national tire shop franchise with 155 locations across 26 states. Founded in 2000, the franchise was initially known as Rent-n-Roll. Larry attributes the success of RNR Tire Express to keeping focus on what your shop does well and serving customers — not just providing service. In this episode… As the owner or manager of a tire and a...

Judd K. Shader is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Leeds West Groups, one of the largest and most-respected leaders in the franchise aftermarket automotive repair space. He founded the company in 2009, when he was a student at the University of Colorado Boulder. Judd is active across various automotive industry boards and organizations and resides in Denver, CO. In this episode… As the o...

Al Pridemore is CEO and Co-owner of Pride Auto Care. He and his brothers became owners in 2005, starting with two shops before growing to six. Pride Auto Care is a full-service tire and automotive center focused on putting their employees first. Their philosophy is that building relationships and leadership, within all of their ranks, results in great service for the customer. In this episode… As...

Joe Rush is the Owner of Rush Automotive. He opened his first location in Round Rock, TX in 2011 with just three employees. Since then, Rush Automotive has grown to nearly 50 employees across five locations. The motto at Rush Automotive is “Caring for People and Cars.” As a culture-based company, Rush Automotive works hard to live out that motto. In this episode… People often talk about the cultur...