Brad Templin is the owner of Scott’s U-Save Tires & Auto Repair, a four-store tire and auto repair business serving Indiana and Illinois. His family’s automotive roots go back more than a century, starting with a parts distributorship in Chicagoland before the next generation moved into the tire and auto repair side of the industry.

Brad returned to the business after studying aerospace engineering at Purdue and working in a corporate technical sales role. He came back through the shop floor first, working as a tire tech, learning the counter, and earning his way into leadership. His experience gives him a practical view of tire shop succession planning, especially for owners who already have future leaders inside the business.

In this episode…

Shop owners talk often about technician shortages, training, and recruiting. Brad Templin brings up a different issue that sits closer to the owner’s seat: who carries the business forward when the current owner starts thinking about stepping away.

The next owner is not always a son or daughter. The next owner is sometimes the manager who has been there for 15 years, the lead tech who already knows the crew, or the trusted employee who opens the shop when the owner is gone. Brad’s point is direct: second-generation ownership does not have to mean blood. It means culture, trust, experience, and the ability to protect what the business already means to the people inside it.

For multi-location operators, the succession question gets bigger. Growth creates opportunity for the next layer of leaders, but owners still have to decide who gets a real path forward. A sale to an outside buyer changes the financial picture. A handoff to someone inside the business changes a life, protects the shop’s identity, and keeps the business tied to the community that helped build it.

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

[01:01] Brad Templin’s role at Scott’s U-Save Tires

[02:55] How Brad’s family history shaped his view of the industry

[04:06] Why second-generation ownership does not have to mean family

[06:10] Why blue-collar shop ownership still offers serious opportunity

[08:18] How self-awareness shapes stronger leadership decisions

[11:30] Why technician-minded owners struggle to think like visionaries

[15:39] How owner financing can create a practical succession path

[20:55] Why Brad had to earn leadership by working every shop role

[22:20] How the next generation can improve what the founder built

[24:36] Why independent shops matter beyond the services they sell

[29:13] How endurance training connects with business leadership

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Brad Templin on LinkedIn
• Scott’s U-Save Tires & Auto Repair Website
• Tread Partners
• Gain Traction Podcast on YouTube
• Gain Traction Podcast Website
• Mike Edge on LinkedIn

Quotable Moments:

• “I have now fallen so in love with this industry, I see so much opportunity and runway in front of it.”
• “Second generation ownership doesn’t even have to be blood.”
• “Taking over a succession plan of an already successful shop that you’re familiar with, you have such a great runway opportunity.”
• “Shop ownership is very rewarding.”
• “We’re needed as much as a doctor, a lawyer, an attorney, an accountant.”

Action Steps:

1. Identify one person inside the business who already operates with ownership-level trust. Look at who opens the shop, handles pressure, protects the culture, and keeps the team moving when the owner is not there.
2. Start tire shop succession planning before the exit feels urgent. Build a path around responsibility, financial structure, leadership development, and clear expectations instead of waiting for a forced sale.
3. Let future leaders work every major seat in the business. Counter work, tire tech work, customer conversations, and store operations create respect that no title can replace.
4. Separate technical skill from ownership readiness. A strong technician is valuable, but ownership also requires leadership, vision, decision-making, and the ability to carry people through change.
5. Use growth to create opportunity for the next layer of leaders. Multi-location operators need people who see a future inside the business, not just a job inside the shop.