Expanding from one store to two is hard enough, but imagine expanding from one to 19 stores in the span of 10 years. If you think that sounds like a daunting task, you’re not alone. But that’s the feat Aaron Telle, owner of Telle Tire & Auto Centers based in St. Louis, Missouri, accomplished after taking over his family’s business in 2009.
The fourth-generation owner of Telle Tire & Auto Centers, Aaron began his career in the tire industry at Telle Tire sweeping floors and shuttling customers in high school. With business savvy at a young age, Aaron began to form strategic relationships in the industry and chart his vision for the company’s growth. When his father, Scott Telle, passed away suddenly in 2009, Aaron was thrust to the helm of the business to carry on its customer-centric, family-focused values. A year later, he acquired Telle Tire’s second store and began to take the business to new heights.
In this episode of Johnny g & Friends, presented by Firestone, Aaron reveals his toolkit for rapid expansion of his family business that’s celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. In this episode, Johnny g and Aaron delve into:
- How Aaron’s great-grandfather, Arthur, started the business during World War II as a recapping business, and Johnny g describes how he met Aaron’s grandfather, Chuck. (1:56)
- Lessons Aaron has learned from his grandfather, Chuck, and his father, Scott. (3:50)
- The growth strategy behind Telle Tire’s expansion from one store to 19 stores in 10 years and how Aaron helped his employees “care and think like a Telle” about the business. (5:32)
- The employee-focused reason Aaron decided to close all Telle Tire locations on Saturdays. (7:49)
- The biggest challenges Aaron sees on the horizon for Telle Tire. (11:15)
- What motivates Aaron to continue to improve the business and increase his knowledge of business and the tire industry (13:16)
- Telle Tire’s footprint for the future, what Aaron’s focusing on for the business for 2022 and what Aaron feels fueled the business’s rapid expansion. (13:59)
Watch the episode above or on YouTube. You can also subscribe to Johnny g & Friends on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.
