in step with tire dealer winners bob and juanita purcellpurcell tire was founded by bob’s father,...

SEPTEMBER 2004 • VOL . 85, NO. 9 • TEN DOLLARS • A BOBIT PUBLICATION

THE INDUSTRY’S LEADING PUBLICATION

In step with

Tire Dealer of the Year

winners Bob and Juanita

Purcell

In step with

Tire Dealer of the Year

winners Bob and Juanita

Purcell

SNOWBELT DEALERS STOCK UP BEFORE FLAKES FLY

TRIB wins battle forCalifornia retreadersTRIB wins battle forCalifornia retreaders

MTD SEPTEMBER 2004 23

By Mike Manges

They are the top independent retreaders in theUnited States. They operate the third largest inde-pendent commercial tire dealership in the country.Their dealership is North America’s 10th largest

independent tire store chain with sales of $170 million to$200 million a year.

Through expert planning, innovation, a willingness to takechances and sheer hard work, they have turned what startedout as a small operation into one of the industry’s most prof-itable tire dealerships, with more than 60 locations through-out 10 states and Mexico, plus seven retread plants.

They are universally respected within the tire industry —not only for their vision, financial acumen and business suc-cess, but also for their impeccable integrity, trustworthinessand eagerness to share their bounty with others.

They are Bob and Juanita Purcell of Potosi, Mo.-based Pur-cell Tire & Rubber Co. And they are the winners of ModernTire Dealer magazine’s 2004 Tire Dealer of the Year award,

the first couple to receive the honor.The value of hard work

Purcell Tire was founded by Bob’s father, Robert M. Pur-cell, in Washington, Mo., in 1935. He obtained a Goodyearfranchise that same year. The elder Purcell borrowed money

from two associates, Taylor Wells, a man he had previouslyworked for, and Ted Hiltz to start the company. The loanfrom Wells was sealed with a simple handshake.

Robert worked hard to build the business — not an easytask during the Great Depression. “He never looked on thedark side of things,” says Bob. “He was honest, sincere and avery hard worker.”

Robert’s reputation for fairness preceded him in the smalltown of Washington. “During World War II, he was incharge of the local rationing board,” says Juanita. Everythingfrom salt to fuel fell under his jurisdiction. “People were try-ing to get favors, but he wouldn’t do it. He made sure every-body got the same thing.”

Even more impressive were his quiet displays of generosity.After Ted Hiltz fell ill and became incapacitated, Roberttook care of his affairs and kept him involved in the dealer-ship. “Every Tuesday and Friday, he would pick Ted up andtake him to the shop, just to keep his mind active,” says Bob.

With his father as a role model, Bob learned the value ofhard work at an early age. He worked part-time at the deal-ership during high school and also set pins at a local bowlingalley.

Before that, at the age of 10, he sold watermelons door-to-door, transporting them three at a time in a hand-drawnwagon. “I’d sell three and then go back and pick up threemore.” He charged from a nickel to seven cents per melon.Margins weren’t bad, jokes Bob, “but it was the idea of walk-ing around and talking to people and asking, ‘Would you likea watermelon?’” that really appealed to him.

Bob displayed uncanny business savvy, even at that earlyage. A potential customer once demanded to poke a hole in amelon to check its freshness, a common practice in thosedays. Without missing a beat, Bob fired back, “If you do that,how am I gonna sell it?”

Juanita also entered the working world at a young age —eight years old! Her first job was in the kitchen of a localrestaurant. By the age of 12, her mother was coming to her

Continued on page 24...

A tradition of trust

A tradition of trust

Bob and Juanita Purcell — MTD’s Tire Dealer of the Year winners — continue to build Purcell Tire side-by-side

Purcell Tire & Rubber Co. includes retread, commercialand retail operations, like the above store.

for advice about household matters(Juanita’s father passed away when shewas three years old.) “Mom would ask,‘Do you think we should do this?Should we do that?’”

Juanita’s mother turned out to be asuccessful entrepreneur in her ownright, buying a restaurant/tavern wellafter the age of 50. “Bob and I helpedher with her permit and books and

things like that. She made money herfirst year!”Triumphs and setbacks

Bob learned the nuts and bolts of thetire business while working for his dadin high school. “Everybody at the storelearned how to sell and change tires,”he says.

After graduating from high school in1952, Bob spent two years in the Navy.He enrolled in the University of Mis-

souri in 1954, where he delivered milkand sold insurance on the side.

Bob met Juanita — who was workingas a shoe model for a footwear manu-facturer at the time — between hisfreshman and sophomore years. “Mybrother and I had gone to this night-club in Washington,” says Juanita. Bob— who was there with some friends —introduced himself to her.

“I got a date with her and took herout,” he says. “Once I met her, I wasn’t

interested in anyone else.” They mar-ried in September 1955.

After getting his business degree in1958, Bob went to work for Goodyearas a trainee in St. Louis. The followingyear, he took a job with General Tire& Rubber Co. and the couple relo-cated to Nashville, Tenn.

In 1964, Bob’s dad invited them tojoin him in running Purcell Tire, whichwas growing. They moved back to Mis-

souri and assumed management of thedealership’s recently acquired tirestore and retread plant in DeSoto, Mo.

“The company was in good financialshape with a good customer base and agood reputation,” says Bob. “Just be-cause my dad didn’t have a formal edu-cation didn’t mean he wasn’t a goodbusinessman. The business was rock-solid.”

Then tragedy struck.In 1969, a fire broke out at Purcell

Tire’s DeSoto retread shop as the re-sult of an industrial accident. The facil-ity was the company’s only retreadplant and a primary source of income.It was completely destroyed. “I was ata nearby park with the kids (Jackie andPatti) and looked up and saw the blacksmoke,” says Juanita.

Fortunately, nobody was injured inthe blaze. However, the plant and itsequipment were uninsured. “After thefire, we weren’t sure if we were goingto go back in business,” says Bob. “Itcould have gone in either direction.”

The Purcells decided to stick with itand located a parcel of land with a va-cated factory building some 25 milesdown the road in Potosi, Mo. Theybought the property and started re-treading again within several months.

Purcell Tire manufactured passenger,medium truck and OTR retreads. “Atthe time we sold passenger retreads for$5.95 apiece,” recalls Bob.

“Snow tires also were big,” saysJuanita. “We’d keep our DeSoto storeopen all night and we’d work aroundthe clock putting snow tires on.”

Unfortunately, Bob’s father devel-oped a heart condition and had to re-duce his involvement in the business.“But right up until that time, he sold,moved and changed tires,” says Bob

He died in 1970, and Bob and Juanitatook over the whole company, whichconsisted of the Potosi plant and threeoutlets. “We just continued what hehad built,” says Bob.

How to enlarge a businessThe Purcells maintained their focus

on retreading. The local market wasextremely competitive, and most oftheir rivals “were also good friends ofours,” says Bob. “In fact, there used tobe more people in the business than

www.moderntiredealer.com24

Continued from page 23...


Purcell Tire was founded by Bob’s father, Robert M. Purcell, in Washington,Mo., in 1935. “He was honest, sincere and a very hard worker,” says Bob.

there are now.”Purcell Tire sold to several lead

mines in the area, which was part of“The Lead Belt.” OTR retreadingcould be a tough sell at times, accord-ing to Bob. “A mine just west of herehad a front-end loader and wanted meto come out and look at it. They didn’tthink I could retread it because theload (that the tires carried) was soheavy and the service was so severe.”

The size was 14.00x24, which wasconsidered mammoth at the time.(“We’re successfully retreading 57-inchtires now!”) Bob took the tire back tohis shop and recapped it, to the cus-tomer’s amazement.

Other mining companies were im-pressed with Purcell Tire as well. Someeven sent letters to the Purcells sayingthat the dealership’s retreads were out-performing new tires. “We’d guaranteethe same service hours as a new tire,”says Juanita.

As Purcell Tire’s customers ex-panded their operations, the dealershipbought new molds and equipment. The




Your hard work, perseverance, and giving 100% have really made a

difference. Bank of America is proud to partner with Bob and Juanita

Purcell and Purcell Tire for making extraordinary performance an

everyday event.

Visit us at www.bankofamerica.com.

You’ve done it. You’ve done it. And then some. And then some. Congratulations.Congratulations.

Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC.

©2004 Bank of America Corporation.

SPN-78-AD

In good companyPurcells join

star-studded rosterBob and Juanita Purcell are the

12th winners of Modern TireDealer’s Tire Dealer of the Yearaward. They will receive an etchedplaque commemorating the honor,plus a framed portrait. A $1,000check will be sent to Pony Bird Inc.,their charity of choice.

The Purcells were chosen by thefollowing independent judges:

• Anne and Russ Evans of Tires2000, a tire importer/exporterbased in Hebron, Conn.;

• Saul Ludwig, a managing di-rector with KeyBanc Capital Mar-kets, a division of Cleveland, Ohio-based McDonald Investments Inc.,and long-time author of MTD’s Lud-wig Report;

• Richard Morgan of MorganMarketing Solutions in Dallas,Texas; and

• Larry Morgan, 2001 Tire Dealerof the Year, current Tire IndustryAssociation president and founderof Morgan Tire & Auto Inc.

Last year’s Tire Dealer of theYear was John Marshall of GrismerTire Co. in Dayton, Ohio. Other TireDealer of the Year recipients in-clude Tom Raben, Raben Tire Co.,Evansville, Ind. (2002); LesSchwab, Les Schwab Tire Centers,Prineville, Ore. (2000); Raynal Pear-son, Pearson Tire Co., Richfield,Utah (1999); and Tom Gegax, TeamTires Plus Ltd., Burnsville, Minn.(1998).

Our first five Tire Dealer of theYear winners were: Walt DealtreySr., Service Tire Truck Centers,Bethlehem, Pa. (1997); DavidStringer, Stringer Tire Co., Jack-sonville, Fla. (1996); Tony Troilo,Rosson & Troilo Motor Co., BrandyStation, Va. (1995); Jerry Bauer,Bauer Built Inc., Durand, Wis.(1994); and Barry Steinberg, DirectTire Sales, Watertown, Mass.(1993).

Purcells even began creating customtread designs and compounds with helpfrom suppliers — two unusual practicesfor a small independent.

“They stayed ahead on technology,”says Jack Woodland, chairman ofMarangoni Tread North America Inc.Woodland met the Purcells nearly 25years ago, when he was CEO of OliverRubber Co. and they were Oliver cus-tomers. “Their technology in OTR hasalways been ahead of even the ma-jors!”

Missouri’s sharp, rocky topographyhelped as well. “We cut our teeth onsevere applications and surfaces,” saysBob. “Our product was really good.”

Retreading — particularly largeOTR tires — led to other things. “Itwas so capital intensive, we had to findother uses for the equipment.” Thecompany began wholesaling tires inorder to spread its cost over moreunits.

The 1970s saw Purcell Tire expandinto other states. In 1972, the dealer-

ship openeda location inHenderson,Ky. Twoyears later, itadded a re-tread plant inMur-ray, Utah,plus sales/ser-vice locations inSt. Louis, Mo.;Salt Lake City,Utah; and Du-Quoin, Ill. If therewas a mine to beserviced, the Pur-cells want-ed to bethere.

Bob was on theroad constantly,while Juanita ran things from companyheadquarters in Potosi. “He had to buyequipment, he had to buy servicetrucks, he was the only salesman,” shesays. “He’d leave Sunday night andcome back on Saturday.”

Being a woman in the tire industry inthe early 1970s wasn’t always easy.

“Bob would be gone and customerswould call and say, ‘I want to talk to asalesman.’ And I’d tell them, ‘Youhave to talk to me.’” They’d back off abit, but would warm up to her once shedemonstrated how knowledgeable shewas. “Then they’d want to talk to meeight hours a day!”



Congratulations Bob and Juanita!

You make us proud of our partnership with Purcell Tire!

Purcell’s WesternStates Tire division is the com-

pany’s biggest performer. Purcell Tire acquiredPhoenix, Ariz.-based Western States Tire in 1983.


“Once they found out she had theanswers they wanted — that’s what re-ally mattered,” says Bob.

“I never really thought of this as aman’s profession,” says Juanita.

The Purcells credit Marvin Bozarth,who came to work for Purcell Tire in1970, as a tremendous help during thattime. “He’s a great technical person,”says Juanita. Bozarth spent 19 years withPurcell Tire before taking a job with theold American Retreaders Association(later called the International Tire &Rubber Association), where he rose tothe position of executive director.

“It was a slow start, getting everythinggoing,” says Bozarth, who now ownsBozarth Tire Industry Consultants andalso serves as senior technical consultantto the Tire Industry Association (TIA).“We used a lot of old equipment, we re-built a lot of equipment.

“But Bob was a heck of a salesman.He’d go anywhere and call on anyoneto make a sale — early in the morning,

late at night, whatever it took. Juanitatook care of office procedures. Theywere very hands-on people.”

Ideas flowed freely at Purcell Tire,according to Bozarth. “An idea wouldpop into someone’s head at lunch timeand early in the afternoon it would be,‘When are we going to get started?’ Itwas unpredictable sometimes.”

“Years ago, we used to meet everySaturday morning at a local restau-rant,” says Juanita. “There would befive of us, including Marvin. Once adiscussion was going on and I was onone side of the issue while Bob was onthe other side. And I said, ‘Let’s justtake a vote.’ Marvin spoke up and said,‘Can it be a secret ballot?’” To thisday, the Purcells say Bozarth “rankshigh on our list.”

The Purcells were unafraid to makeadjustments when needed. With trade-mark foresight, they stopped retread-ing passenger tires in the mid-’70s.

“Sometimes I think it might be a goodidea to get back into it, but Juanitabrings me to my senses,” Bob jokes.

The national economy took a turnfor the worse in the early ’80s and Pur-cell Tire felt the impact. “OTR, in par-ticular, was very depressed,” he says.“So we went into truck tires in a bigway and it turned out to be a savior forus. We developed the truck tire end toa great degree.” The company’s experi-ence in OTR helped them make thetransition.

“That’s why I call Bob our vision-ary,” says Juanita. “He came in andsaid, ‘We have to start diversifying.’”

Meanwhile, they continued the com-pany’s expansion by acquiring Phoenix,Ariz.-based Western States Tire in1983. Western States, a longtime fix-ture in the Southwest, sold and ser-viced OTR, medium truck and passen-ger tires; produced truck tire retreads;and operated a thriving wholesale divi-sion.


On behalf of Michelin® Earthmover and Michelin AmericasTruck Tires, congratulations to Bob and Juanita Purcell ofPurcell Tire. Your hard work and dedication make us proud to work with you.

Congratulationsfrom all of usat Michelin.

Bob & Juanita PurcellModern Tire Dealer

2004 Dealer of the Year

®

If there was a mineto be serviced, thePurcells wanted to

be there.

OTR retreading: up29% since 1997

Purcell Tire & Rubber Co. is the largestindependent retreader in North America.Its daily OTR retread output is up 29.2%since 1997, while its truck tire retreadingoutput is up 16.6%. Purcell retreads tiresup to 57 inches in diameter.

Year: LT Truck OTR2003: 110 1,050 842002: 110 1,050 842001: 90 1,025 782000: 90 1,025 781999: 70 925 701998: 155 990 651997: 120 900 65Source: Modern Tire Dealer


The purchase brought Bob andJuanita new business and personnel,including Western States vice presidentAl Chicago, who currently serves asPurcell Tire senior vice president.

The acquisition of Western Statessparked a major growth phase for Pur-cell Tire. The company added nearly20 locations throughout the rest of the‘80s and continued adding locationsduring the ‘90s and beyond. Most ofthe additions were new outlets. “I can’tsay (expansion) has happened haphaz-ardly, but I also wouldn’t say there wasa very structured plan,” says Bob.

The road hasn’t always been smooth.Once, Purcell Tire had been sharing amajor account with Firestone Tire &Rubber Co. and “we lost the bid,” saysJuanita. “It just killed us. So I wentdown to talk to the (customer’s) gen-eral manager. He called in their pur-chasing department and they said,‘You’re $300 a tire higher than Fire-stone.’

“That was a harrowing experiencefor me. I wasn’t used to being told

‘No.’ And we lost that business for oneyear. But we got the business back thenext year and we’ve had it ever since,”due in part, she says, to the customerremembering how well Purcell Tiretreated them in the past.

In recent years, Purcell Tire has fo-cused on developing its network of re-

tail stores in the Sun Belt area, particu-larly Arizona. Retail has been highlyprofitable, according to Bob. “It’s notas capital intensive as a truck center.You put a truck center in and you needa much larger inventory, plus servicetrucks.”

Giving backPurcell Tire is one of the largest tire

dealerships in the world. Its PurcellWest division employs more than 400people; its Purcell East division em-

ploys nearly 500.Bob and Juanita attribute much of

the company’s success to the peoplewho work for them. But a lot of it also isdue to their management philosophy.

The Purcells give their employees atremendous amount of autonomy, ac-cording to John Yost, a region man-ager for Purcell West. “We’re not allstuffed into a box and told to do thingsa certain way. We’re free to run the



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Goodyear has been supplying Pur-cell Tire since 1935, the year thecompany was founded.

business as we see fit.”Yost joined Purcell Tire in 1996 after

25 years with Bridgestone/Firestone.Factors that drew him to the dealershipincluded “the opportunity to be myself,the freedom to do what I knew how todo, and knowing that Bob and Juanitahad the resources I needed to be suc-cessful.

“I felt like I had more to accomplishand Purcell Tire gave me that opportu-

nity.” “If you keep your employees happy,

they keep your customers happy,” saysJuanita. “Our employees are numberone. ‘You’re the best of the best!’That’s what Bob tells them.”

Two years ago, the Purcells trans-ferred 100% ownership of the com-pany to an Employee Stock OwnershipPlan (ESOP). The program is adminis-tered through an employee trust. “Thedriving goal was to reward some of thepeople who had been with us a long

time and deserved credit for gettingour company where it is today,” saysBob. He and Juanita even financed thefirst portion of the ESOP (the secondpart was financed through bonds theybought from Morgan Stanley).

Purcell Tire’s ESOP is unique in sev-eral ways, according to the couple.First, employees own 100% of thecompany’s stock, while many ESOPsinvolve smaller percentages. Second,new hires are enrolled in the programthe day they start and are totally vestedwithin five years. Some ESOPs, say thePurcells, won’t admit new membersuntil they’ve put in at least a couple ofyears.

Seventy-five-percent of the ESOP isbased on salary; the rest is based on se-

niority. That formula determines howmuch stock each employee gets. “MostESOPs are based on salary alone,” saysJuanita.

The program is, in essence, a retire-ment plan, according to Juanita. Em-ployees are eligible for payment whenthey turn 65. Employees who wish tostay on beyond that age can start taking



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‘Our plans aremuch more formalnow. It’s not just

Bob and I deciding‘We’re going to

do this’ as opportunities

present themselves.’

— Juanita Purcell, on the company’s ESOP program


payments at 65 if they choose or let themoney sit until they finally retire.

It was an easy sell to their employees.“The day after we announced it, our

manager in Springfield, Mo., who is onour communications committee, calledand said, ‘Bob and Juanita, I think thisis just wonderful!’” recalls Juanita.“And I said, ‘Well, we’ll have to goaround and explain it to everybody.’He replied, ‘What’s to explain? It’sfree!”

The ESOP also represented a shift ofpower within the company. Prior to theESOP, the Purcells had final say in allof the dealership’s affairs. Now majordecisions — like property purchases, forexample — must be approved by thecompany’s board of directors, which in-cludes Bob and Juanita, plus Jim Bar-nett, dean of the University of Akron’sBusiness School (in Ohio) and ShawnHayes, CEO of National City Bank inthe St. Louis region. If the board grantsapproval, the decision then goes to Pur-cell Tire’s ESOP trustee, John Grider,who is employed by the dealership.“We’d have to prove return on invest-ment, our plan to turn (the property)around, return on the bottom line, etc.In some cases, if the trustee can’t justifyit, he won’t approve it.

“Our plans are much more formalnow,” says Juanita. “It’s not just Boband I deciding ‘We’re going to do this’as opportunities present themselves.”

Purcell Tire’s ESOP has improvedemployee productivity, according tothe Purcells. It also has become an ex-cellent recruitment tool.

With the ESOP in place, the coupleeasily could have slowed down, but fatehad other plans. Shortly after the pro-gram was established, Purcell Tire lostthree key accounts. “Bob and I said,‘We have to go back and work harder,’and that’s what we did. We’ve sinceovercome those problems and we wantto make sure the ESOP does well.”

“They could have sold the companyto a competitor and walked away withpockets full of money,” says PurcellTire Region Manager Bill Guttery.Employees now have “a real sense ofownership. Each of us feels like this isour own company.”

Different talentsProfessionally, the Purcells approach


Congratulations Bob & Juanita Purcell.MTD Tire Dealer of the Year.

You’re not just a tire dealer. You’re a Continental tire dealer.

The Purcells transferred 100% own-ership to an Employee Stock Own-ership Plan in 2002.


Bob and Juanita Purcell certainly have earned the respectand admiration of their employees and associates, both pri-vately and professionally, as the following comments reveal:

Al Chicago, Purcell Tire senior vice president: “I metthem 35 years ago when Bob sold retreads to WesternStates Tire. We went on some trips together, so my wifeand I got to know them. They are very personable andfriendly. It doesn’t matter who they’re with — they liketo make others feel like the center of attention. They areGrade A people.”

Joe Jackson, Purcell Tire senior vice president:“They’re great motivators, they’re great business peo-ple, and above all else, they’re fair. They’re able to rec-ognize and identify the strengths and weaknesses ofpeople. If you’re going to work in the tire business, Pur-cell Tire is the place to work.”

Dennis Flynn, executive vice president: “They’rededicated to the business. All they talk about is tires,whether at the office or at home. The business is theirlife. I’ve learned so much from them. They give you theleeway to make decisions and move the business for-ward. I’ve been up and down the roller coaster withthem, and it’s always been fun and exciting.”

Bill Guttery, region manager: “I love working here be-

cause I can do what I want to do. Bob and Juanita have somany people who want to work for them. They really capital-ize on their people and their assets, and their reputation isjust flawless.”

Marvin Bozarth, owner ofBozarth Tire Industry Consul-tants, who spent 19 years atPurcell Tire: “They’re willing towork and put in whatever time isnecessary to get somethingdone. Bob is a brilliant analyst.Juanita is a detail person. Evenin their personal life, most of thetime they’re talking business. I’dsay the strong point of theirwhole career has been their re-lationships with their customersand suppliers; they’ve becomevery close to some of them.”

Jack Woodland, chairman ofMarangoni Tread North AmericaInc. and a longtime friend:“They confide in each other, theybounce ideas off each other and

they take input from everyone in the company. They workvery well together. They’re always thinking of ways to growthe business; they enjoy the chase.”

Jon Rich, president, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.’s NorthAmerican Tire division. Goodyear has supplied Purcell Tiresince 1935: “Bob and Juanita have built a tremendous orga-nization, but more than their growth, it’s the way they treattheir customers and the way they treat their associates.They’re tremendous people and good representatives ofGoodyear, and they personify what the independent tiredealer should be.”

Many of Purcell Tire’s employees display a tremendousamount of enthusiasm when discussing the company:

Carol Burton, retail sales associate: “It’s a great sense ofsecurity knowing that you work for a company that has sucha long track record.”

Richard Werre, store manager: “I’ve been in the business25-plus years, two with Purcell Tire, which has been thebest time of my career. Purcell Tire is strong because thePurcells have assembled a team of professionals.”

Mike Vodika, service manager: “The integrity of this com-pany is high as far as giving customers the best possibleservice. Customer loyalty is very high.”

Steve Richards, store manager: “No one can beat us be-cause we are a company that stands together, even in theworst of times.”

Mike Boyd Sr., store manager: “I have all the faith in theworld in (Purcell Tire’s) upper management and their abilityto work one-on-one with anyone who has a concern orquestion.”

Paul Kirkorian, store manager: “This company will dogreat things in the future. Just look at the people working

Respected and lovedEmployees and associates hold the Purcells in highest esteem

“They’re incredibly givingto everybody,” says AlChicago, Purcell Tire’s se-nior vice president.


their business from different perspec-tives. “I’m the big picture guy,” saysBob. “Juanita likes to dot the i’s andcross the t’s.”

“Bob watches the sales line and Iwatch the bottom line,” Juanita jokes.

Bob is the company’s “thinker,” shesays. “He lets everyone do their plan-ning and then comes in and critiques it.As we finish the P&Ls every month, Iscan them and approve them beforethey get e-mailed to each location. Ilook at each one. Bob waits until all ofthem are done, and then he looks atthe consolidated (number).”

Juanita enjoys the financial aspectsof running the dealership. “I take prob-lems apart; it’s fun!”

“She’s uncanny about finding andsolving problems,” says Chicago. “Wealways ask, ‘How could she pick that(problem) out?’ While Bob is talkingto our managers, she’s on the paperside, checking bills and making surecredit is right.”

“Bob is the visionary who is unafraidto take risks,” says Yost. “He’s outthere doing things, and Juanita is rightbehind him, making the whole thingwork.

“I’ve learned a lot from them, espe-

cially by observing their ability to buildrelationships and work with vendors.When you’re the size we are, you needto have trust with your vendors.They’ve worked hard at that over theyears, right up to the level of seniormanagement.”

Joe Jackson, who supervises all of

Purcell Tire’s sales and activities in theEast, joined the company 16 years agoafter Bob and Juanita invited him towork for them. “I love Purcell Tire be-cause it’s straight-line management,”he says. “We’re lean and mean. If youhave an issue, it gets resolved today.What makes it so neat is the ability toget answers, put them in place and seethe results.”

Work is number oneBob and Juanita Purcell make no ex-

cuses about where Purcell Tire resideson their list of priorities. “We talkabout the business all the time — onthe way to work, on the way homefrom work, at the dinner table, andeverywhere else,” says Juanita.

“When we go to sleep we sometimestake a break from it,” says Bob with awink. “A lot of times we’ll talk busi-ness when we’re brushing our teeth.”

“We never, ever turn the business



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Congratulations to Juanita and Bob Purcell. . .

the first team ever voted “Tire Dealers of the Year.” You

have been working and playing together for 49 years and

Myers Tire Supply and Patch Rubber Company are

honored to be part of your larger team.

‘Bob is the visionary

who is unafraid to take risks.

He’s out there doingthings, and Juanitais right behind him,making the whole

thing work.’ — John Yost, region manager

off,” says Juanita. “The problem is, youfind yourself only talking about prob-lems, when there are so many goodthings.

“A lot of people who have been mar-ried for as long as Bob and I don’t haveanything to talk about. They don’thave anything in common. We defi-nitely have something in common!”

Both admit that their round-the-clock focus on business isn’t for every-body. “It bothers some people,” admitsJuanita.

The couple tries to leave as manyfrustrations as possible at the office.“Juanita doesn’t have stress; she givesstress!” jokes Bob.

“Look who’s talking!” Juanitareplies.

The couple’s close rapport keepsthem grounded when problems doarise. In March 2002, Juanita’s doctorsdiscovered that she had a heart prob-lem, which called for immediate valvereplacement surgery. “We were luckybecause we had one of the best artery

specialists,” she says. Her recovery wasslower than originally anticipated, butnow she feels as good as new.

Over the years, Bob and Juanitahave learned that the principles thatbuild solid marriages can be applied tobusiness. “You have to be sincere,”says Juanita. “We need each other;what’s the difference if it’s business orpersonal? If I make a decision, Bobbacks me up, and if he makes a deci-sion, I back him up.

“He makes all the big decisions any-way, like what we’re going to do inIraq,” she jokes. (Bob likes to keep upon current events.)

“And Juanita makesall the small decisions,like what kind of carwe’re going to drive,”he says. “That’s ourstandard joke.”

The Purcells aredeeply involved in vari-ous tire industry func-tions. Bob, in particu-lar, has volunteeredcountless hours to

both TIA and the Missouri Tire Deal-ers & Retreaders Association. He alsois one of the most active contributorsto TIA’s annual OTR Tire Conference.

“Our friends are the people withinthis industry,” says Juanita. “We wantthem to do well. Whenever I hearsomebody say, ‘Oh, so-and-so is a terri-ble retreader,’ I just hate it because itgives everybody a black eye.”

“Larry Morgan (Morgan Tire &Auto Inc. founder and current TIApresident) is a dynamic leader,” saysBob.

“We never felt threatened by him;we tried to learn from him. The same



Congratulations to Bob and Juanita Purcell

for receiving Modern Tire Dealer’s

Dealer of the Year award.From your friends at

Carlisle Tire & WheelCompany.

Steady growth: 45% in 10 years

Purcell Tire & Rubber Co. has grown 45% in the last 10

years based on number of outlets:

2003: 2002: 22001: 2000: 1999: 1998: 1997: 1996: 1995: 1994: Source: Modern Tire Dealer

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

67

62

59

54

54

54

52

47

46

46

Left to right: Juanita, Robert M. Purcell, severalGoodyear officials, Sophie Purcell (Bob’smother), and Bob at the opening of Purcell Tire’sPotosi, Mo., retread plant in 1969.

Continued on page <None>...


goes for Brad Ragan Sr. (the late OTRretread pioneer and Brad Ragan Inc.founder) and Les Schwab (Les SchwabTire Centers founder).”

Other dealerships, in turn, now lookto Purcell Tire for inspiration.

In November 2002, Bob was inductedinto TIA’s Tire Industry Hall of Fame,along with Jack Woodland. “It was oneof the greatest awards I’d ever re-ceived. To go through life, doing whatyou want to do, and to get an award forit?” He remains humbled by the honor.“It’s kind of strange to be in the com-

pany of people like Charles Goodyearand Harvey Firestone.”

Ahead of the curveThe tire industry is much different

than it was when Bob and Juanitamoved back to Missouri to help runPurcell Tire 40 years ago. “The changeshave been amazing,” says Juanita.

The scope of customers’ operations,including the capacity of their equip-ment, has increased. At mine sites, 350-ton trucks have become commonplace.“Thirty years ago, there wasn’t any-thing like that,” says Bob.

Tire size proliferation has developedinto an on-going challenge. “Just to

Congratulations Bob & Juanita

from your friends at

Providing software for the best Tire Dealers for over 25 years.

www.Maddenco.com812-474-6245

‘To compete, youtry to do the samethings that got you

where you are. You try to be

honest, truthful and sincere.’

— Bob PurcellPurcell Tire has remained on the cutting edge of technology by adapting tochanging trends, like larger mining trucks and other equipment.

have all sizes of OTR tires available,for example, takes more money than itdid years ago. Designs and types havechanged and there are a lot more ofthem. Availability is a big item.”

Computerization, which the Purcellshave wholeheartedly embraced, hasmade doing business easier. The cou-ple can track sales and stock through-out the entire company from corporateheadquarters in Potosi.

“I remember working on the inven-tory book late one night at the firststore we had,” says Juanita. “Someonewalked by and knocked the book over.It fell apart and I almost cried.

“Now you can punch a key on yourcomputer and see what your inventoryis.”

Consolidation has reduced the num-ber of dealerships in the OTR and trucktire arenas, according to Bob. Andthose who have survived find them-selves competing at more intense levelswith their own suppliers. “To compete,you try to do the same things that got

you where you are,” he says. “You tryto be honest, truthful and sincere.”

Customers expect more brands. “Fora long time, we were 100% Goodyear,”says Juanita. Purcell Tire now sellsGoodyear, Michelin, Yokohama, Toyo,General and Hankook brand tires, plustires imported by China ManufacturersAlliance LLC.

Finding a profitable niche doesn’thurt either. “There are lots of people

who sell tires, but we’ve gone astep further. Not only can wesell a tire, we can remanufac-ture a tire, which really lowersthe (customers’) price in theright application.”

Purcell Tire’s truck tire re-tread processes include pre-cure, Goodyear Unicircle andmold cure (us ing CIMAequipment). For OTR re-treading the company usesmold cure and segmentedmold cure, its Flex Cure sys-tem (for radial OTR tires),and Precision Cuts.

“One thing we watch closelyis service. If you do service and aren’tbilling for it, you’re giving it away.

“We did $250,000 a month in serviceat one truck tire center in Phoenix. OurLittle Rock, Ark., and Salt Lake City(truck tire) locations aren’t far behind.”

On the downside, price has become abigger consideration among customers.“I still think people do business withpeople, so we try to stay in contact withour customers,” she says. “But it’s got-

38


Your Partners and Friends at

CSK Proshop

Wholesale Auto Parts

Congratulate

Bob and Juanita Purcell

for earning MTD’s

Tire Dealer

of the Year

Award

Proshop would also like to

congratulate all of the

Purcell’s

associates for their

hard work and efforts.

NationalCity.com ©2004, National City Corporation®

CS-16050

Here’s to youroutstanding performance.

Recently, Purcell Tire was

named Dealer of the Year.

Congratulations on your

achievement!

“Our employees are number one,” saysJuanita. “They are the best of the best.”


ten harder; they’re busier, we’re busier.You don’t have that personal feel likeyou used to.”

That hasn’t prevented Purcell Tirefrom earning contracts with some of theworld’s leading mines, including Magna,Utah-based Kennecott Utah CopperCorp.; Phoenix-based Phelps DodgeCorp., one of the biggest copper miningoutfits on the planet; and Barrick Gold-strike Mines Inc., among others.

Sharing their blessingsNeither Purcell has plans to slow

down in the near term. Both still workfive-and-a-half days a week and spendtwo weeks at the company’s Phoenixand Las Vegas offices each month.

Maintaining forward momentum re-mains a goal. While some tire dealer-ships struggle with managing theirgrowth, Bob and Juanita say expansion iseasier than ever now that Purcell Tire isso large. “Right now we’ve moved ourretread plant in Phoenix and are sellingthe old one,” says Juanita. “We’ll simplytake the money (from the sale) and roll itinto a new plant.”

Growing Purcell Tire’s ESOP is an-other priority. “We want to create a lotof wealthy people” within the organi-zation, says Bob.

The Purcells’ participation in a widevariety of charities also keeps them busy.For the past 10 years they have been in-volved with the Make-A-Wish Founda-tion, an organization that enables chil-dren with life-threatening medicalconditions to fulfill their dreams. PurcellTire has hosted golf tournaments in vari-ous cities to raise money for the group;one tournament raised $10,000 for thecharity. Juanita, an avid golfer, hit thelinks with employees, suppliers, cus-tomers and other guests, while Bob, anon-golfer, sold hot dogs and beer at theconcession stand!

The couple donates money to Habi-tat for Humanity, the Boy Scouts ofAmerica, various diabetes groups andthe Salvation Army. They also providemoney for high school scholarships inWashington County, Mo., which isplagued by high unemployment.

At the top of their list is Pony BirdInc., a Mapaville, Mo.-based organiza-

tion that provides residential, recre-ational, educational and adult day pro-gramming services to individuals withsevere physical and mental disabilities.The Purcells were introduced to PonyBird years ago through their relation-ship with an associate whose son was aresident there. They’ve enthusiasticallysupported the cause ever since.

Bob and Juanita’s reputation for self-lessness even crosses national bound-aries. A nun from Canada once had aloader grader owned by the parishwhere she lived, says Juanita. “Shecouldn’t get tires for it anywhere else,so she’d call Bob every year. And Bobwould duck her and say, ‘Tell her I’llcall her back!’”

Bob, who attended parochial schoolas a child, eventually allowed his con-science to get the better of him andcalled her back.

“She’d send a truck down here fromCanada, and we’d retread those tiresfor free!”

To this day, the Purcells aren’t surehow the nun found out about them;


All the Staff and Employeesof China ManufacturersAlliance, LLC offer our mostsincere congratulations to Boband Juanita Purcell for beingselected Modern Tire Dealer’s“Tire Dealer of the Year.”

This is a most deservingaward to a company that hasbeen at the forefront of professional service, innova-tions and leadership in thetransportation industry,

Congratulations to Bob andJuanita for a job well done.

Member FDIC

www.mysouthwestbank.com

Congratulations

B O B & J U A N I T A P U R C E L L

of P U RC E L L T I R E

for many years of excellence and winning

T I R E D E A L E R O F T H E Y E A R

© Southwest Bank of St. Louis

Contact Randy Russell(314) 525-0928


FFuullll nnaammeess:: Robert G. Purcell,Juanita C. Purcell

FFaammiillyy:: Jacquelyn Purcell Breder(daughter); Patricia Purcell Flynn(daughter); Dennis Flynn (son-in-law);Tosca Sanders, Lori Breder, Kala Flynnand Kyle Flynn (grandchildren)

II aamm mmoosstt pprroouudd ooff::BBoobb:: my wife, Juanita, and

meeting and marrying her almost50 years ago; being named TireDealer of the Year; and my induc-tion into the Tire Industry Hall ofFame.

JJuuaanniittaa:: my family; our com-pany, as it has become part ofour family; and my husband, Bob,in his relentless pursuit of doing agood job.

MMyy hhoobbbbiieess//iinntteerreessttss iinncclluuddee::BBoobb:: running Purcell Tire.JJuuaanniittaa:: reading, golf, certain

charities, and working.MMyy ffaavvoorriittee cchhiillddhhoooodd mmeemmoo--

rriieess::BBoobb:: My father showing me

how to change a tire on a Model Tand growing up in the tire busi-ness.

JJuuaanniittaa:: I was raised in a smallcounty, Warren County, Mo., andwas asked to give the eighth gradecommencement speech for the entirecounty. I saved the dress I wore foryears.

MMyy bbiiggggeesstt rreeggrreett:: BBoobb:: I did not do an Employee Stock

Ownership Plan (ESOP) earlier.JJuuaanniittaa:: I didn’t finish my master’s

degree. We moved to DeSoto and thenearest school was an hour away. Withtwo small children and working, theresimply wasn’t time.

MMyy ffaavvoorriittee bbooookkss::BBoobb:: “Quest for Happiness” (seventh

grade catechism), John Grisham’s“The Jury,” Ann Coulter’s “Treason,”“Who Moved My Cheese?” and “Who’sLooking Out for Us?” by Bill O’Reilly.

JJuuaanniittaa:: All books. I read fiction,non-fiction and a great number of mo-tivational books.

MMyy ffaavvoorriittee ssppoorrttss::BBoobb:: football and baseball.JJuuaanniittaa:: golf and football.MMyy ffaavvoorriittee aatthhlleetteess::BBoobb:: Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and Mickey

Mantle.JJuuaanniittaa:: Jackie Smith, tight end for

the former St. Louis Cardinals. My fa-vorite coach is Dick Vermeil, who said,“I’ve always felt that it you can move aplayer’s commitment from his head tohis heart, you’ve got a chance to makehim work a little longer and a littleharder.” How is that any different inbusiness?

MMyy ffaavvoorriittee mmoovviieess::BBoobb:: “The Sixth Sense,” “From Here

to Eternity,” and after reading all thereviews, I want to see “The Passion ofthe Christ” as soon as it is on TV.

JJuuaanniittaa:: I really enjoyed “The SixthSense.” We don’t go to movies often;we much prefer reading and keepingup with the latest news.

MMyy ffaavvoorriittee ffoooodd::BBoobb:: Butterscotch pie with graham

cracker crust and real whipped creamtopping.

JJuuaanniittaa:: I enjoy going to restaurantsthat know how to fix all kinds becauseI don’t know how.

MMyy ffaavvoorriittee ppoolliittiicciiaannss::BBoobb:: U.S. Representative Jo Ann

Emerson, Ronald Reagan and HarryTruman.

JJuuaanniittaa:: Condoleezza Rice. She is awoman who has succeeded in a man’sworld and I think she’s very smart.

AAmm II aa mmoorrnniinngg oorr nniigghhtt ppeerrssoonn??BBoobb:: Morning.JJuuaanniittaa:: Morning, which stems from

working. The best work is done early inthe morning for the majority of people.

IIff II ccoouulldd cchhaannggee oonnee tthhiinngg aabboouuttmmyysseellff::

BBoobb:: I would not work so many hoursin the business and be more active inthe community and church.

JJuuaanniittaa:: I would have tried to not besuch a workaholic. I love being out-doors and could have spent more effort

doing that.MMyy mmoosstt hhuummbblliinngg eexxppeerriieennccee::BBoobb:: The fire in 1969 (that de-

stroyed Purcell Tire’s retreadplant).

JJuuaanniittaa:: Calling on our largestcustomer and losing a major bid.

MMyy ggooaallss iinn lliiffee::BBoobb:: To be as instrumental as

possible in growing this businessand making a lot of wealthy own-ers (Purcell Tire is now employee-owned).

JJuuaanniittaa:: To make sure our ESOPdoes well, then to spend more timewith my grandchildren.

AA ppeerrffeecctt eevveenniinngg ffoorr mmee::BBoobb:: An evening with associates

and/or customers.TThhee ssmmaarrtteesstt tthhiinngg II’’vvee eevveerr

ddoonnee::BBoobb:: Creating our ESOP and

growing this company.JJuuaanniittaa:: The most important deci-

sion one makes in life is who youchoose to marry, so the smartest thingI’ve ever done was marry Bob.

BBeesstt aaddvviiccee mmyy ppaarreennttss ggaavvee mmee::BBoobb:: Be truthful, even when it hurts.MMyy aaddvviiccee ttoo mmyy cchhiillddrreenn::BBoobb:: Enjoy life, be happy and work

hard.JJuuaanniittaa:: Be loyal to your family and

friends and be trustworthy. Do what isright, regardless of any pressure puton you.

MMyy aaddvviiccee ttoo aa ttiirree ddeeaalleerr wwhhoo iissjjuusstt ssttaarrttiinngg oouutt::

BBoobb:: Develop a good work ethic andbuild trust with your customers.

TThhee ggrreeaatteesstt tthhiinngg aabboouutt tthhee ttiirree iinn--dduussttrryy ttooddaayy::

BBoobb:: Anyone can succeed if they arewilling to sacrifice. A little luck helps,but success usually comes to thosewho will do what it takes to achievetheir goals. The tire industry has beenvery good to my family and I.

JJuuaanniittaa:: The constant change.Changes used to occur every five to 10years; now it’s more like daily. ■

MTD Dealer Profile: Bob and Juanita Purcell


Juanita suspects she was referred to themby one of Purcell Tire’s competitors.

The Purcells receive requests forhelp from various charities each week.The letters don’t go unanswered —thanks, in part, to a blessing that thecouple still remembers after 30 years.After Purcell Tire’s DeSoto retreadplant burned down in 1969, Juanita

prayed fervently for snow. “This waslate October,” she recalls, “and itsnowed!” As a result, the company wasable to get by on winter tire sales. “I’llnever forget it,” she says. “That’s whyevery request gets some money.

“Our needs are met. Our grandsonused to say, “I need candy,’ and I’d say,‘No, you want some candy.’ Our wants

are few. We’ll never go hungry, we’llnever starve.”

Forward momentumWhile Bob and Jaunita are quick to

shower others with accolades, they alsoare fiercely proud of their own hardwork, perseverance and the sacrificesthey have made for one another andtheir business.

“We always did what was necessary,”says Juanita. “Even whenBob worked at GeneralTire, he’d bring a customerin after having driven along way. They’d get in atmidnight and I’d get upand fix breakfast forthem.”

While Bob was on theroad building Purcell Tire’sclient list, it wasn’t unusualfor him to land at an air-port at 4 a.m., then turnaround and put in a full dayat the office. “Anybodywho is willing to sacrificeand work hard will be suc-cessful,” he says. “You canbe smart and not be suc-cessful. Of course, you’ll al-ways run into that one per-son who has talent and is

willing to work; there are occasionswhen lightning strikes...”

“...or you win the lottery,” saysJuanita.

“But you have to be willing to work,”he says.

Money isn’t always the driving factor,according to Bob. “At the end of theyear, we want to have something to

show for our efforts. But as far as dailyor hourly, I don’t know if that’s theonly thing that inspires us to do theright job for our customers.

“Each and every minute of each andevery day isn’t always enjoyable, but at theend of the day or the month or the year,you say, ‘Well, I did it,’ and then you moveon to something else. Every morning wewant to get up and go to work. I don’tthink that’s going to change.”

“I once told Bob, ‘I’m going to re-tire,’” says Juanita. “And he said, ‘Ifyou’re going to retire, then I want towork forever!’ But then he said, ‘If youwalk out that door, I’m walking withyou.’ I consider that a compliment.And here we are!” ■


CongratulationsBob & Juanita

PurcellModern Tire Dealer’sDealer of the Yearwww.imt.com

Words to do business bySimple philosophy

generates big returnsPurcell Tire & Rubber Co. Senior

Vice President Joe Jackson wrotethe following points, which reflectthe company’s philosophy, on abusiness card in 1999:

Two things to do each day:

1. Inspire employees;2. Find and keep customers

for life.

“If you do these two things,everything else takes care of itself,”he says. He carries the card in hiswallet each day.

Bob and Juanita Purcell are as busy as ever. “Everymorning we want to get up and go to work,” saysBob. “I don’t think that’s going to change.”

in step with tire dealer winners bob and juanita purcellpurcell tire was founded by bob’s father,...

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