Boulter opened for business in 1967 with a 12,000 square foot, seven bay store and shop, and remained in that same location until this year when the decision was made to build a state-of-the-art automotive and tire store to better serve customers. The new Fountain Tire store is a located on Highway 22 into Drayton Valley, on the West side of the road.
Over the years, this business has changed hands, yet always remained in the family. In 1965 the store joined the Fountain Tire chain to be part of a larger network of stores, and in 1985 Dave’s son Kevin became manager of the store. Today, Kevin’s role is overseeing the construction and completion of the new store, and working closely with store manager Travis Schneider to get all the details in place.
“I guess there’s something to be said about the way we ran the business, and in particular, the way we have served customers, for it to have been a going concern all these years. That makes us proud. My dad is proud as well,” said Boulter.
The new store is significantly larger than the previous store, occupying 17,000 square feet complete with 14 bays and a 9,000 square foot warehouse to store inventory. “We had simply outgrown our current location,” said Manager Travis Schneider. “Plus, the new store has better accessibility and parking.”
The new location will offer brand new equipment and diagnostic tools and a spacious customer waiting area complete with a coffee bar and Internet access. For business customers, the store will offer heavy-duty mechanical work and alignments, and a heavy-duty mechanic has been hired to perform these services
The new store opening is scheduled for Dec. 29, while the official Grand Opening celebration will be hosted next spring by the staff. (Tire Review/Akron)
