They tell you that in order to attract customers, you have to be different, you have to deliver, you have to stand out in the crowd.
Reynold Hester was apparently paying attention.
The owner of Hester Tire Pros in Bladensboro, N.C., can be easily found simply by looking for the big tire out front. The really big tire. What Hester claims is THE world’s largest working tire. And all 14 feet of it is planted – firmly – in front of his sole location on State Highway 131 North.
The five-ton monster came courtesy of Michelin North America, but the idea to own and display the “world’s largest tire” was all Reynold, according to the Charlotte News Observer. Given the location of Bladensboro – southeast of Lumberton and a good bit away from I-95 – having such yard decor would be important.
Not that Hester Tire Pros needs the help; it’s a great looking store offering a wide range of tire brands and services.
Still, six years ago, Reynold “decided he wanted worldwide bragging rights” for his dealership, according to the newspaper, and decided a mammoth tire would fit the bill. So he called MNA headquarters in Greenville, S.C., and flat out asked for a tire. A 59/80R63 radial, to be precise.
You’d have thought the story would end when that call ended and the laughing subsided. But stranger things have happened, and a few days later Reynold was weeding his yard when the phone rang. It was Bob Reese of MNA telling Reynold that they were sending him such a tire – for free. All he had to do was pay the shipping cost.
Hester had to obtain a permit and have a special platform built, of course, to hold the tire firmly in place. A massive flatbed truck with a crane delivered the tire, and it was raised on end into the cement platform. A little painting on the sidewall, and Hester Tire Pros had one awesome sign.
So the next time you’re passing through North Carolina on I-95, turn off at Lumberton and head southeast. Many people have, Hester told the newspaper, including a Canadian family who interrupted their drive home from Myrtle Beach to get photos taken next to the tire. Their kids found the roadside attraction on the Interwebs, and wanted to stop.
The power of promotion!
