BusinessReport.com

POSITION: Co-owners

COMPANY: Quality Tire and Car Care, Zachary

WHAT THEY DO: Tire sales and repair, oil changes, brake work, light mechnical work, front-end work, car washes, state inspections

REVENUE: Nearly $550,000 last year

NEXT GOAL: Continue to provide quality work and customer service, and maintain current growth trend

Over a handshake deal and cup of coffee, Brad Chaney and his father, John, bought a small oil change business and turned it into a venture that generated nearly $550,000 in revenue last year.

In five years, Quality Tire and Car Care, on La. Highway 19 in Zachary, has gone from 15 oil changes a day to more than 30, and sales have grown steadily from $225,000 a year.

“We just had our best month ever with over $60,000 in sales,” Brad says.

When Brad and his father recognized Zachary lacked a tire store, they expanded to add tires. Eventually, they added a car wash, and now he says they offer a discount car wash with any service they provide, including state inspections.

The father-son formula is based on solid math: Sweat equity plus great service and staff equals strong word-of-mouth.

“In today’s society, time is everything for customers,” Brad says. “We’ve got to provide great service in a timely manner to keep our customers satisfied and coming back.”

Brad says he was so impressed with Rapid Lube on Essen Lane, a business run by Jerry Hix, that it became the model for his business. He even sent employees there to train. Quality’s employees are cross-trained to handle any job in a timely manner. They stress the importance of teamwork. Their five full-time and two part-time employees suggest ways to improve the business, and receive bonuses for improving business and sales.

“I tell my employees you’re on stage every day,” he says. “Every customer is your boss, and they are paying your salary. If we do a good job, you’ll be lucky if they tell 10 people, but if you do a bad job they’ll tell 100.”

Brad attributes their success to getting some help along the way. A longtime family friend and well-liked former owner of Zachary Texaco, John Troth, referred many of his customers to Quality Tire when he retired.

“We want to keep a small family-owned business atmosphere even as we continue to grow,” he says. “Our employees know many of our customers and their family members by name. We even have customers that cook meals for our employees from time to time. If you believe in what you do and work hard, you’ll be successful—and my dad’s a firm believer in that as well.”