Joe Happel, Desiree Elliott, Steve Towers, Charlie Alexander, Tim & Terri Hollander, and Gary Skidmore represent a cross-section of some of the most experienced operators and leaders within Big O Tires. From Hall of Fame-level leadership and second-generation ownership to multi-state expansion and corporate strategy, each brings decades of real-world experience in building, scaling, and sustaining automotive service businesses. Their combined perspective reflects what actually works inside high-performing tire shop networks; not theory, but execution.

Across their roles as franchisees, operators, and executives, they reveal how tire shop owners grow through standards, accountability, and long-term relationship building. Their insights are grounded in running multiple locations, navigating growth cycles, developing teams, and aligning franchise systems to support both independence and scale.

EPISODE SPONSOR

This episode of the Gain Traction Podcast is sponsored by Cosmo Tires. Cosmo Tires offers a wide range of tire solutions designed for durability, reliability, and performance across multiple vehicle segments. Learn more at https://www.cosmotires.com

In this episode…

The industry doesn’t have a growth problem, it has a standards problem. Shops chase tactics, marketing angles, and quick wins, but the operators scaling from one location to ten and beyond are playing a different game entirely. Growth is being driven by discipline, culture, and consistency, not creativity.

Inside Big O Tires, the pattern becomes clear. The operators winning long-term don’t reinvent systems, they refine them. They build pressure into their culture, hold teams accountable, and treat customer relationships as assets that compound over time. The gap between average and top-performing shops isn’t access to better tools. It’s the refusal to let standards slip.

This is where most operators fall behind. Weak retention, inconsistent service, and constant hiring challenges aren’t random, they’re the result of operating without a defined standard. Meanwhile, the shops that understand how tire shop owners grow are building businesses that scale predictably, retain customers for years, and create internal leadership pipelines that sustain expansion.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

[01:11] Joe Happel on maintaining high standards and prioritizing work over recognition

[09:09] Desiree Elliott on generational leadership and scaling a multi-store operation

[14:05] Steve Towers on expanding across multiple states and building brand consistency

[22:23] Charlie Alexander on acquisition-driven growth and co-op structure advantages

[27:04] Terri & Tim Hollander on customer retention through long-term relationships

[35:01] Gary Skidmore on franchise growth strategy and system-wide collaboration

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Big O Tires
• Big O Tires Franchise Opportunities
• Joe Happel on LinkedIn
• Desiree Elliott on LinkedIn
• Steve Towers on LinkedIn
• Charlie Alexander on LinkedIn
• Gary Skidmore on LinkedIn
• Tread Partners
• Gain Traction Podcast on YouTube
• Gain Traction Podcast Website
• Mike Edge on LinkedIn

Quotable Moments:

• “You just have to listen… and you learn a lot.”
• “Pressure creates diamonds.”
• “You can’t teach somebody to care.”
• “Delight the customer, not just satisfy them.”
• “It is cheaper to keep an employee than to find and train a new one.”

Action Steps:

1. Establish one non-negotiable service standard across every location and enforce it daily without exception.
2. Build structured mentorship inside your shop by pairing experienced operators with newer team members to accelerate learning.
3. Audit your customer experience and shift from satisfaction to retention-driven service that builds long-term trust.
4. Identify where inconsistency exists in your operations and eliminate it through repeatable systems and accountability.
5. Study how tire shop owners grow by focusing on culture, employee retention, and execution rather than chasing new strategies.