A Roadside Tire Repair Business

 

A Roadside Tire Repair Business 

     IT WAS a blown-out front tire, occurring while driving along route US 20 from Chicago to Michigan City, that started James Mowry in business. When the blow-out happened, Mowry did what many other motorists do. He replaced the flat with the spare, and threw the old tire in the weeds along the road. He decided to buy a used tire in Michigan City to carry as a spare on the way back. After calling upon several tire dealers in the Indiana city, Mowry was forced to pay $5.00 for one that wasn’t much better than the tire he threw away. Mowry felt he was cheated. The idea persisted in his mind on his way back home, and he wondered how other motorists felt in similar situations. He thought that a roadside tire service station offering rebuilt tires at low prices would make a lot of money. By the time he parked his car in front of his house, Mowry decided to go into the business himself. He rented a roadside stand adjoining a three-pump gasoline station a short distance east of Gary and stocked it with fifty rebuilt tires secured from a Chicago jobber. He put up large signs 300 feet east and 300 feet west of his new tire station reading: “Tires $2.25 and up—300 feet,” and another large sign on the service station, facing the highway reading: “Home of Jimmy’s Guaranteed Tires—$2.25 and up.” Mowry opened up for business. That was July second. Over the Fourth of July he sold out his entire stock and made a profit of $52. His initial investment was $145, including cost of the tires, rent, signs, and incidentals. The first month he operated this stand Mowry netted a profit of $203, after deducting the entire cost of his investment. Rebuilt tires such as Mowry handles are standard brand tires which have been reconstructed by a special process at low cost. You can safely guarantee good mileage to customers who buy such tires from you. It is both a pleasant and a profitable business, requires little capital and there is practically no chance for loss.