Book Description

Dick Erickson started his business career managing a tire store in Panama City, FL. He opened the first Sun Tire in Orange Park, FL, in 1981, added ten more stores over the next several decades, and sold the business to a large national chain of tire stores in 2018. How the Rubber Meets the Road documents Dick's journey from growing up in rural North Dakota, to flying helicopters in the Marine Corps in Vietnam, to his remarkable success in the retail tire business. The book also covers four key business topics.Customer Service: It's nearly impossible to have ongoing profitable growth in business without providing excellent customer service. From the friendly greeting a person gets when entering a business to being treated with respect after the sale, every element of customer service plays a part in how the customer feels about a business. Profit-sharing: Dick closely observed a very successful chain of tire stores in Oregon. One of the keys to their success was profit-sharing. It motivated employees to cut costs and improve profits. Dick incorporated much of what he saw in that organization in the Sun Tire program.Mentoring: Dick sought out and received excellent mentoring throughout his career in business. Many people in business have wisdom and are willing to share it. An entrepreneur can learn a great deal simply by asking the right person the right questions. Profitable Growth: Growth is important for any organization, but it has to be at the right pace with the right people to be profitable. Business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs who are looking for ways to improve their bottom lines and their impact on their communities will benefit from reading How the Rubber Meets the Road.