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Dealers say recruitment and regulations are top challenges in 2015 By Ann Neal
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as dirty. Let’s change that image in 2015! It starts with our industry all being on the same page and focused on a clear, common goal.” — Joe Flynn, president, Flynn’s Tire Group doing business as Flynn’s Tire & Auto Service, Middlesex, Pa.
1. Recruiting talent
“Lack of qualified applicants. Pressure from insurance companies on covered drivers is keeping us from hiring some applicants.” — Nick Phillippi, general manager, Nebraskaland Tire Co. Inc., doing business as Nebraskaland Tire, Kansasland Tire and Coloradoland Tire, Lexington, Neb.
hat issues will preoccupy tire dealers in the next 12 months? Employee recruitment, government regulation, margin pressures and casing supply, according to dealers we contacted. Although the year is new, the top issues affecting dealers’ operations are not. Many dealers cited these same challenges in 2014.
“How can our industry recruit young people? It seems as though young people aren’t as enthused about cars as they once were and it appears that high schools are ushering all students toward college and away from hands-on type of work. I think many kids today would prefer making much less money at a shopping mall than making more money working as an auto technician or sales person in our industry. I think society has given our industry a bad/dirty brand image. We hold people’s lives in our hands with every car/truck we work on, even more so than a pharmacist or EMT would, yet those industries are recognized as important and our industry is recognized
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2. Government regulations “Te state of California and workers’ compensation insurance are the biggest threats to our business today.” — Chris Mitsos, vice president, Mountain View Tire & Service Inc., Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. “The biggest challenge has been health insurance and workers’ compensation in New York state. Tey both con-
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MTD December 2014
