FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2012 | CAMPBELL RIVER MIRROR |
B3
Campbell River Business SUCCESS
FOUNTAIN TIRE
Trevor & Debra Gatzke, Owners
Fountain Tire has one rule above all others that franchise owners, like Trevor Gatzke here in Campbell River, must embrace: The owner must be in the store ... to serve his or her customers. Gatzke says this defining agreement governing the relationship between individual owners and the Fountain Tire corporation is elegantly simple. “The owner must also be the manager of the store.” In Gatzke’s case he has doubled down on the franchise rule. Every day there are two Gatzkes at Fountain Tire, Trevor managing operations and helping customers and Debra, his wife, behind the scenes handling administrative duties. There is another Fountain Tire quality assurance policy that Gatzke is only too proud to stand by and that is his “Personal Promise Board” on display for all to read. It states: • I am committed to my customers and my community; • I take pride in providing you with quality products and services; • I will ensure your time and money are well spent; and, • My team and I will do our best every day to earn your trust. The Campbell River Fountain Tire building is just five years old and is recognized as one of the biggest and best equipped facilities of its kind on the Island. When it comes to tires, Gatzke’s team can supply everything from an eight inch wheel barrow tire to an eight foot tall OTR tire. In the facility’s eight indoor bays and two drive-through covered bays Gatzke’s mechanics and technicians can do everything from an oil change to an engine swap. And, that includes full light duty mechanics, even tire re-treading.
expertly combines key factors such as experienced owners, licensed automotive technicians and quality products to form a company driven to serve. Today, it has more than 140 stores from Campbell River east to Thunder Bay, Ontario. Most consumers know the company from watching the TV commercial antics of its funny and often inept pitchman Thom Sharp. In fact, if you call the Campbell River store and everyone is busy with customers, Tom will answer the phone and entertain you royally.
available for numerous charity and community events. This month it was front and centre at the Campbell River Baptist Church youth group kick-off festivities. Both Trevor and Debra believe that the qualities individual business owners bring to the community are just as important as the contributions of the business itself. “We do as many things as we can for the community,” Trevor says. “We are being adopted by Campbell River and we want to do the best we can in return.”
Gatzke is a Langley boy who served in the Armed Forces as a paratrooper with Two Commandos in Ontario from 1989 to 1992. A decade ago he went to Alberta to learn the tire business as a store manager with “the competition” in centres like Red Deer and Edson. Debra worked as a nurse’s aide before saying at home to raise their three sons. Three years ago with everyone in school Debra ventured back into the workplace as a teacher’s aide. Harrison is 12 and twins Nicholas and Nathaniel are 10. Exactly one year ago Trevor and Debra were looking for a new home and a fresh challenge in British Columbia. “We hadn’t been to Campbell River for 15 years,” Debra recalls. “We flew in at 9 in the morning. It was a gorgeous sunny day. We stood in Shoppers Row, took in the beautiful scenery and we knew this was the place we wanted to call home.” The purchase of the store was complete in January and the adventure began. The Gatzkes and Fountain Tire have earned a valued place in the business community through their generous corporate charity work. Trevor says: “It’s not so much a case of name recognition as it is a case of simply being involved.”
Gatzke’s shop also has the only heavy truck alignment pit on Vancouver Island capable of handling big rigs and buses. “We are one of the few tire shops on Vancouver Island that does everything.” Gatzke says.
Those sponsorships have included a number of charity golf tournaments including: The Campbell River Hospital Foundation tournament at Sequoia Springs; the Howie Meeker Special Olympics tournament at Storey Creek; and, the Cops for Cancer tournament in Sayward. Fountain Tire also sponsored the Saratoga Monster Truck event this summer.
The franchise was started in 1956 in Wainwright, Alberta by Bill Fountain. The Fountain Tire corporate model
Gatzke also has a fully equipped BBQ trailer including popcorn and slushy making machines that he makes
PROFILE
Fountain Tire 1661 Willow Street (Located between Willow & Tamarac Streets)
Campbell River 250-287-9291 www.fountaintire.com