By William Smith
It has been 40 years since Bill Roberts moved his business — Roberts Tire Center — from West Burlington to Burlington.
As Roberts pointed out, that was several presidents ago. Since then, Roberts Tire Center has grown from two employees and 25 tires to 14 employees and over 2,000 tires.
The store on Mount Pleasant Street has been expanded four times over the past four decades.
“It’s been a good run,” he said.
Roberts had to shrink before he could grow – a symptom of the national economy that taught him the art of frugality. He opened up across from the school bus barn in West Burlington 43 years ago but was forced to leave the larger building due to economic woes.
“I had to downsize,” he said.
Roberts was down but far from out. It was that downsizing that led him to Mount Pleasant Street, allowing him to turn an unfortunate situation into a new start for the business.
“I came down here and rented this building from Eddie Beckman, who had been here for years as a service station manager. And started here April 1, 1983,” Roberts said.
It was rather fitting, considering Roberts discovered a knack and a passion for the auto business while working at gas stations as a youth.
“Everyone had to fix their own cars back then,” he said.
Like the best of small businesses, Roberts Tire Center operates as a mix of metaphorical family and actual blood relations. At Roberts, there is no difference between the two. His two sons work there. His granddaughter, as well.
“It’s been a good run. We’ve had a good time,” he said. “We now do all kinds of tires, from the smallest little wheelbarrow tire to the biggest earth-mover. Plus, we do a lot of farm tire work and a lot of car tires, and a lot of truck tires. And, of course, we have full-service alignments, shocks, mufflers.”
The automotive industry is quite different than it was four decades ago, and those who didn’t roll with the changes got left behind. Roberts said he was initially stubborn about updating the office to computers.
Until he did.
“I drug my feet for a long time, but in 2000, we went to computers, and I don’t know how you would operate a business without one now,” he said. “We have nine computers here now.”
A head for business and respect for his employees has helped Roberts maintain an incredibly high staff retention rate.
Several of his employees have been there for over 25 years.
“We have a great crew that works here. Our newest employee has probably only been here for 10 years,” he said.
Roberts may have grown up working at a gas station, but he learned the ropes of the tire service industry through a 20-year career at Goodyear.
He didn’t hesitate to spread his wings beyond Goodyear when he saw the opportunity to be his own boss. Those wings cover an extended family of trusted associates now, and he doesn’t intend to leave them without a haven.
“I’ll be 80 in August, and I plan to work until I’m 93,” he said with a laugh
