Bill Fountain, the late co-founder of Canada’s Fountain Tire, was recently inducted into the Alberta Business Hall of Fame.
In 1956, Bill and Jack Fountain opened the first Fountain Tire store in Wainwright, Alb. Bill’s vision and drive led the company to add agricultural tire services to meet the needs of local farmers, and to eventually expand the business into more rural areas.
He established stores in Fort St. John, B.C., and Whitehorse, Yukon Territories, towns that serviced much of the burgeoning Alaska Highway. The new locations proved successful, setting the blueprint for the business’ future growth. He also set up key store managers as owner-partners in their stores.
Today, Fountain Tire has 145 locations across western Canada.
In 1967, Bill Fountain and tiremen from Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta formed Astro Tire & Rubber Co., creating their own private label tire brand.
In 1976, 20 years after he had started the business, Bill was killed in a tragic car accident, leaving behind his wife, Eileen, two sons and a daughter.
In 2006, the Western Canada Tire Dealers Association honored Bill with its Pioneer Member Award, and in 2005 Alberta Venture Magazine named him one of the 100 Alberta entrepreneurs of the century.
