How Second-Gen CEOs Take Business to New Heights with Virginia Tire & Auto

For years, Virginia Tire & Auto has been among the best tire dealers in North America. The dealership, now spanning 18 stores, was named Tire Review’s Top Shop Winner in 2011, and since then, has garnered local and national accolades. Today, in its second generation of ownership, Virginia Tire is redefining what it means to be a tire dealer in the 21st century with an open mind toward technology, smart marketing and a different look on how they see their competition.

“Customers aren’t just judging us against other people who do tire and auto service, they’re comparing us to every other experience they have on a daily basis,” says Julie Holmes, co-CEO of Virginia Tire, describing the business’s forward-thinking approach to today’s retail landscape.

Located in the Virginia suburbs of Washington D.C., Virginia Tire was founded in 1976 by Myron and Carole Boncarosky. The two laid the foundation for the business’s high standards of customer service and employees-as-family mindset. Today, Myron’s daughter, Julie, and her husband, Mike Holmes, run the business as co-CEOs with a focus on continuous improvement.

In this episode of Johnny g & Friends, sponsored by Firestone, Johnny g sits down with Myron, Julie and Mike to discuss keys to the business’s success over the years and how it has evolved to meet customer expectations time and time again.

Episode Overview:

Julie, a successful attorney before joining the family business, describes how her father’s positive attitude toward the business influenced her decision to come back to the family business and follow her passion. (2:00)
Mike, an accountant and financial analyst, shares how Myron served as a mentor to him and the events that led up to him joining the family business in 2007. (3:37)
Stories from Julie’s childhood and how “the kitchen table was the board room” growing up in the Boncaroksy household. (6:35)
Myron describes what he learned from being a sales rep for Texaco and how he applied that to starting Virginia Tire & Auto. (9:06)
Characteristics Myron has seen over the years in successful dealers and employees. (13:15)
The importance of “making winners out of your people” and why Myron believes the best insights on your business come from your employees. (16:32)
Myron describes why “new blood” is important in the business. (17:34)
Julie describes Virginia Tire’s rebranding process, in which she and Mike defined the company’s values and how those values influence every aspect of the business. (21:17)
Mike shares his view on the complexity of the tire business and how the company is simplifying today’s customer experience to “take the stress out of car care,” as Virginia Tire’s mission statement says. (23:34)
The way Mike and Julie view their competition and how it has influenced Virginia Tire’s customer experience (25:55)
After opening four stores in 2019, Julie and Mike share how the coronavirus pandemic affected their business and their focus for the future (28:47)