Jamie Ward is a true tire guy. He learned automotive service work at an early age and had the skills equivalent to an ASE Master Tech by age 15. As he grew in the business, his passion and energy for the industry has catapulted him to president and CEO of TireDiscounters where he has been an instrumental part of growing the business from eight stores to the over 175 locations the dealership has today…including its foray into the car wash business.

In this episode of Johnny g & Friends, presented by Firestone, Jamie shares his journey in the tire industry, mentors he'd had along the way, the work it takes to grow a multi-location business and what he enjoys most about being in the tire industry.

EPISODE OVERVIEW

- What Jamie learned working from his grandfather, a Cincinnati firefighter who ran an auto shop out of his garage on the side (1:41)
- How Johnny g helped Jamie’s first employer, Tony Michel of Michel’s Tire Co., expand his business (4:03)
- Jamie’s start at Tire Discounters and what he found attractive about the business and Chip Wood’s leadership style (5:34)
- How Jamie helped open 60 Tire Discounters locations in about 10 years and what the programs and systemized processes he helped the business adopt throughout its growth (5:44)
- Jamie’s role in helping Tire Discounters double down on growth, opening 10-15 locations per year starting in the early 2010s (9:26)
- Tire Discounters’ growth strategy and goals for the business’s growth this year (12:51)
- Challenges that have come with rapid growth and why it’s important to have people from non-tire backgrounds work in a tire store (15:04)
- Why Jamie considers himself a “student of the business” (17:35)
- What Jamie thinks is the hardest thing to teach others about the tire business (20:11)
- The biggest challenges that exist for independent tire dealers, including Tire Discounters, today (24:14)

More on Tire Discounters' growth: https://www.tirereview.com/?s=Tire+DIscounters

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Thanks to our sponsor, Firestone Tires: https://www.firestonetire.com/