When Joe Miles worked with his service-technician father at dealerships, he realized one thing: he was not a very good technician. This realization pushed Joe to become an automotive service writer for PG Tire Pros in Buckner, Kentucky – which ignited his career. Not long after starting that position, he met someone he would later call one of his biggest influences, Ken Towery. Towery owned and operated Ken Towery’s Tire and AutoCare, which now has over 34 locations between Kentucky and Illinois. Joe was offered a job in management that day – he accepted.
“My boss at the time was actually with me at the golf scramble [we met at] and said, ‘You need to take that,’” says Joe.
Joe went on to manage the Ken Towery’s Tire and AutoCare facility. However, in 2012, when Monro acquired Ken Towery’s, Joe went back to the dealership where he worked previously. Then, in early 2014, Charles Kaiser – then owner of Kaiser Tire and Auto Service Center in Louisville – called Joe out of the blue, asking him to run his business.
“Mr. Kaiser actually reached out to me. I never met him before in my life and he reached out to me and said, ‘I need somebody to come and take over my business. I asked around and got your name three times and would like to talk with you,’” says Joe. “So I ended up coming to manage his store and business and about a year later, he came to me and said, ‘I’m done. If you want to buy it, I’ll sell it to you.’”
Now the owner of Kaiser Tire and Auto Service, Joe credits not only his father as an influence for his success but also the late Ken Towery.
“My biggest influence in this business has been Mr. Towery, who passed away [recently]. He was definitely the one who got me engaged in customer service and sales making sure you’re treating the customer right.”
Treating the customer right goes beyond free tire rotation or doing a flat repair whether you bought a tire from Kaiser Tire or not. It also means keeping up with trends in the automotive industry, even ones that seem far away – like knowing how to service EVs like Teslas.
Kaiser Tire and Auto Service has become a leader in this space.
“When it comes to flat repairs, tire rotations, new tires, we’re to the point where if you call Tesla in Cincinnati and say, ‘Hey, I need a flat repair.’ They say, ‘Go to Kaiser Tire,’” says Joe.
Aside from his quick rise, Joe made his mark on the industry. He was a part of the Continental Gold program, which offers many opportunities for independent tire dealers to maximize results. He was also part of the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance Dealer Council, in which he offered his expertise on shop operations.
Editor’s Note: In July 2022, Joe Miles sold his business to a Tire Pros dealer group member. Since then, Joe has worked as an outside sales representative for Jasper Engines & Transmissions.
