GRAND FORKS – Just one year after a major tire store opened in Grand Forks, another one opened on 32nd Avenue South.
The Les Schwab Tire Center complements the Discount Tire store that opened last year on the same street, just a few blocks away from the competitor.
Les Schwab has come to North Dakota at lightning speed. This year alone, the company opened stores in Fargo, West Fargo, Jamestown, Devils Lake and Williston, even before opening Grand Forks late last month.
“These are the kind of communities that create Les Schwab Country – hardworking, worker-friendly small towns,” said Jacob Marine, store manager in Grand Forks. “So we decided to expand the concept to the Midwest.”
The company has about 530 stores in the USA. While Discount is best known for tires, Schwab offers maintenance work in the areas of brakes, wheel alignment and shock absorbers, among others.
Marine said the tough competition among tire dealers in Grand Forks doesn’t worry him too much.
“We do things honestly and give a lot of money back to the community, for example for children’s programs and things like that. I think our business model is second to none,” he said.
“All our tests prove this.”
Schwab’s new building was built near I-29. The location works for Marine’s new manager, Les Schwab. He held assistant manager positions before landing the manager position in Grand Forks.
Born and raised in Oregon, the Marine joined the military after high school. He was a police officer in the U.S. Navy. He later became a local police officer in Virginia.
“Then I returned to Oregon and started my career at Les Schwab,” he said. “That was the sixth store I worked at. I promoted myself up the ranks and here I am now.”
“Grand Forks seems to be much more community-oriented than the area where I come from, which was a real relief for me.”
Marine says Schwab has built a solid reputation over more than 70 years in business. The original owner was Les Schwab. His family has since sold the company.
In addition to customer service, Les Schwab prides himself on his community involvement.
“We do a lot with community programs,” he said. “Of course, we’re new and the marketing budget isn’t huge, but we’re already doing things for the high schools. We donate popcorn to Cushman Field.”
The company has also reached out to schools and provided parking spaces for car washes to raise money for their programs.
Marine said the company also offers warranties that competitors can hardly match.
“Our guarantees are provided to the customer free of charge,” he said. “I know many companies where you have to buy the guarantee and other certificates. So if you compare apples to apples, we are actually competitive with everyone else.”
If a tire purchased from Les Schwab cannot be repaired because, for example, it has a nail in the sidewall, Schwab will install a new tire free of charge as long as the tire still has at least 2-32 inches of tread.
Schwab sells many tires, including Open Range for light trucks and Reputation for passenger cars.
“I’m just happy to be here. I came all the way from Oregon to run the store and be part of the community. So far, the response has been great.”
Marine says it’s been a nice ride since he moved to Oregon from Virginia several years ago, when he noticed a job posting on a window in Oregon looking for employees.
“In this company, we promote employees from within,” he said. “What you put in is what you get out.”
Kevin Fee is a freelance reporter for the Herald.
