Chapel Hill Tire’s Marc Pons: Values-Based Culture Drives Growth

What every independent tire dealer wants is for their customers to drive away happy—satisfied with their vehicle, the quality of repair and the staff that made it all happen. Living that out is another story, but at Chapel Hill Tire, owner Marc Pons has created a foundation for the business’s slogan, “Drive Happy,” which is plastered through his 10 stores in North Carolina’s Research Triangle.

To support its “Drive Happy” philosophy, Marc created a set of five values that his staff works to live out each day; “Say ‘Yes’ to Customer and Each Other,” “Be Grateful and Helpful,” and “Win as a Team,” are just a few. In this episode of Johnny g & Friends, presented by Firestone, get to know how Marc and his team live out their core values and why they make a difference in growing the business.

EPISODE OVERVIEW

How Marc’s dad, Al Pons, purchased Chapel Hill Tire and what learned about running a tire business from his father (1:45)
Why Marc didn’t initially want to go into the tire business and take it over from his father (3:47)
The sudden death of Marc’s father and how Marc grappled with being thrust into the role of president of Chapel Hill Tire at the age of 26 (4:38)
What happened when Chapel Hill Tire hit a “growth ceiling” in 2015 (6:07)
How creating core values was an investment in Chapel Hill Tire’s Culture (7:38)
Ways in which Chapel Hill Tire lives out its values in giving back to the community (9:34)
How Mark created the business’s “Work Happy Manifesto,” which aligns each employee with the company’s mission (14:12)
What made Chapel Hill Tire an early adopter of EV and hybrid training (16:03)
Mark’s vision for the future of Chapel Hill Tire and its footprint (18:55)
NEW: Rapid Fire Questions! Get to know Marc through this lightening round (21:00)

Watch the episode above and subscribe to our YouTube channel, where you can catch this season’s episodes of Johnny g & Friends. You can also subscribe to Johnny g & Friends on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

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