Business Spotlight: G.L. Moore Tire and Automotive

by Ashleigh Behlmann

SBJ Contributing Writer

sbj@sbj.net

For Gary Moore, founder of G.L. Moore Tire and Automotive, ensuring the business he built stayed in his family was a matter of great importance.

In 1995, Gary Moore hired nephew Mark Moore to learn about the business he had been building since 1971. Mark Moore now owns the business, and said he chose to change nothing when he took over April 1, 2003, after Gary's death.

"Gary had set the stage long before I ever got here. At the time he died, he had been (in the business) for over 40 years. He was set on the idea of, Do what you do well and don't spread yourself too thin.' So we haven't added anything or deleted anything," said Moore, who bought one-third of the business in 1997. He purchased the remaining two-thirds from Gary Moore's widow.

Moore said last year's sales were strong, reaching $1.1 million. He is optimistic that, despite strong competition, he will be able to maintain his uncle's legacy

"It was a blessing to be able to walk in and work for a family business. I believe I was taught very well and I could never thank Gary enough for this opportunity," Moore said.

G.L. Moore Tire and Automotive specializes in tire sales, which accounts for about 50 percent of the business' revenue, as well as light mechanical work.

"We do not do major engine or transmission overhauls, but we do everything else: alignments, brakes, shocks, suspension work, state inspections, electrical work, fluid changes," Moore said. "Alignments are our specialty. We do them for a lot of the other shops and dealerships around town. We have done everything from old classic cars to Lamborghini Diablos."

John Bumgarner, owner of Springfield Coach Builders, has been a client of G.L. Moore Tire and Automotive for decades.

"I've done business with Gary and Mark for years. We use them for alignments and tires mostly, and have never had a complaint with them. They have always offered high-quality service," Bumgarner said.

G.L. Moore Tire and Automotive carries Michelin, B. F. Goodwrench, and Uniroyal tires, but can order specialty brands.

"We can get our hands on pretty much any tire out there. I don't know when the last time was that I lost a sale because a customer needed one particular tire whether it be Kumho, Sumitomo, or maybe people who need a certain size like an 18- or 20-inch tire," Moore said.

"There are other places in town that will make the effort to get these tires for people too, but sometimes people will tell me Thanks, you're the third person I had to talk to to get this tire.' So, hopefully, the next time they need an oil change or new brakes, they'll think of me. If you can spend an extra three minutes on the phone to get a new customer, that's pretty cheap, really. New customers are hard to come by."

Moore believes extending these sorts of courtesies to his customers and employees is an essential aspect of his business. The company has 12 full-time employees, as well as two part-time employees who take clients to and from work while their vehicles are serviced.

"If I was the customer, the last thing I would want to do is go sit somewhere and wait for my car," Moore said. "If I could drop my car off somewhere, go to work, get some work done then pick it up at lunch, that would be great, as opposed to taking it in after work or on a Saturday and spending three or four hours in a tire shop. So we hire people, usually retired guys, to come in from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday to take people to work and pick them up to get their cars. The response has been great people just love it. Plus, we have been able to quit working on Saturdays, so my employees get a full weekend."

Moore applies these basic tenets of courtesy, as well as others gleaned from his predecessor, on a daily basis. He has learned to compete among an influx of chain stores by adhering to his uncle's practice of giving the customers personal attention.

"We're not a discount house; we are an independent. We take pride in our name and our quality, and we give our customers the best prices and service that we can," Moore said. "My uncle taught me that the first thing you do when a customer pulls up is to go out and look at the car, because you can tell a lot that way. Whether or not it needs an alignment, that sort of thing.

"You want to give the customer all of the bad news up front. You don't want them to spend $400 on a new set of tires, then say, Oh, by the way, you also need a $400 alignment.' They might be able to get away with a lesser quality tire because maybe they don't have $800 to spend, but they have $500, and they'll be happier."

Moore also finds it important to include the customer in the process as much as possible, and takes great pride in the company's facilities.

"We have some of the best equipment on the market, and none of the equipment in our shop is more than 4 years old. Our waiting room is all glass, so you can see 75 percent of our shop from there," Moore said. "So you can see your car being aligned and your tires being balanced. We also have a computer in our waiting room that is the same computer we have on the alignment machine. So the customer can look at the screen in the waiting room and see the changes being made to their alignment."