Most Deserving but Apparently Most Unwilling

I have it on pretty good authority that Bruce Halle, the multi-billionaire founder of Discount Tire Co., isn’t interested in being inducted into the Tire Industry Hall of Fame.

I know this because I am on the Hall of Fame Committee, and its members agreed earlier this year that few people are so obviously worthy as Bruce Halle. So he was formally approached to be inducted…and he never responded. Just as he doesn’t respond to interview requests, unless, apparently, you’re with Forbes magazine.

Now, everyone has the right to conduct their lives as they please, and avoiding the spotlight is certainly Halle’s right. At the same time, if you were ranking the accomplishments of all Tire Industry HOF members, Halle would easily be in the top 10. Easily. Starting from scratch, he built Discount Tire into THE most formidable tire retailer in the world, both in bricks-and-mortar and online.

And despite the fact that the name “Discount Tire” has become a curse word on the lips of many independent tire dealers, Bruce Halle was and is an independent tire dealer. And he is, at least in terms of pure dollars-and-cents, the most successful independent tire dealer EVER.

But the 81-year-old Springfield, Mass., native just doesn’t like the spotlight. Except when Forbes comes knocking to do a profile on Halle for its annual most richestest people issue. According to Forbes, Halle is worth a cool $3.1 billion (yes, with a “B”). That puts him 96th on the Forbes 400, the 376th on Forbes’ list of billionaires, and the 123th richestest person in the U.S. He also loves to collect antique tire-related artwork. He has, according to the brief article in the September issue of Forbes, 360 pieces that hang at his homes and his office.

So while those eye-poppers are certainly HOF-worthy credentials, Halle apparently isn’t all that interested. Too bad, because the industry that has made him richer-than-rich would be interested in honoring him and perhaps even partaking of his knowledge.

If you’re a shop looking to sell summer tires, it’s important to know that customers looking for these tires have very specific needs. Let’s talk about why, before recommending summer tires, you need to fully understand customer performance requirements.

Unlike all-season or all-terrain tires built for diverse driving conditions, UHP summer tires are designed with one priority: dry and wet traction for performance driving. Lateral and longitudinal grip in dry and wet conditions are also important, which is achieved through optimized contact patches, high silica tread compounds and circumferential grooves to channel water. Generally, UHP summer tire tread design features large blocks and fewer grooves for more road contact on dry surfaces. The grooves are designed to channel water away from the tire, reducing the risk of hydroplaning on wet roads.