Tire Central And Service Fishers

History

Established in 1980.

Seven years after opening the first store in 1980, Joe Tilford built his second store, which was followed quickly by a third store in 1988, the fourth in ’89 and the fifth in 1990. In addition to building his own retail stores «from the ground up,» Tilford took over a company-​owned store in 2006. Tilford believes that customer service is still the key to success. «Service is still the guy behind the counter and how willing he is to give the customer what he needs as quickly as he needs it. Just be nice. That’s one of the most difficult things to teach.» He says you can always smile more and must be more willing to do anything to make sure the customer is happy.

Meet the Business Owner

Joe T.

Business Owner

When he opened his own shop as a tire dealer in 1980, Tilford never dreamed of having six stores. «I always thought it would be one or two, maybe,» he says, recalling his initial ambition. The journey started when he went to work for the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. retail stores division after serving as a U.S. Navy officer in Vietnam. Seven years later, Tilford struck out on his own with an experienced technician as a partner.