Company of the 7 days: Olson Tire & Automobile
7 min readWausau Pilot & Evaluation
Editor’s observe: Organization of the Week is a sponsored feature that shares the stories of regionally-owned and operated corporations in the Wausau location, highlighting the solutions and providers they offer and the methods they contribute to the metro area’s exceptional taste. Understand how to element your company by emailing [email protected].
This week’s highlighted company has been a staple in the Wausau car marketplace for many years. Olson Tire & Car, 601 Forest St., is not only a household title, the company is a correct relatives affair. President and operator Kent Olson is joined by his wife, Kim Olson, who acts as enterprise manager, even though their two sons – Evan and Aaron Olson – are the product sales and assistance supervisors who maintain the procedure working smoothly. Traci Seeger, physique and paint functions supervisor, and general supervisor Dylan Thompson spherical out the workforce for Olson Tire & Vehicle, which has been up and running due to the fact 1987. Kent requires pride in his “happy car care philosophy,” ensuring that each individual customer is cared for and treated with the utmost respect. It is that philosophy that has attracted nationwide recognition for the Olson staff – and at the very same time earns customers’ have confidence in, keeping them coming back, calendar year soon after yr. The Olson group plays an integral role in the Wausau location, frequently featuring their generous assistance and assistance to nonprofit companies and other neighborhood endeavours, serving to make Wausau the lively community it is. In 2019, Kent expanded the company, including auto physique and paint products and services – all with the exact same commitment to excellence that has held his operation thriving for additional than 30 a long time. Listed here is what Kent experienced to say about his small business, his guiding concepts and his options for the potential.
Q: When was your company set up, and what prompted you to start out?
A: We started Olson Tire & Auto in 1987. I was a younger transplant who recently moved here from the towns with a drive to produce my personal eyesight of how automotive and light truck auto upkeep and repairs ought to be delivered to attendees. I consider in honesty – we do not function on fee, but satisfaction ourselves in being compassionate and caring. And we’re continue to in a position to make a good residing performing it. We lately, in the tumble of 2019, opened Olson Automobile Overall body & Paint alongside these very same ideals.
Q: How did you pick out the title of your company? What are you trying to convey?
We chose our title to replicate initial the private delight of a family members-owned organization, then we created our philosophy of staying “the Delighted Vehicle Place” which is the organization motto we live and act by. You are content since you’re having the most out of your expenditure. A well-taken care of car or truck charges considerably less to very own and operate. It uses significantly less fuel. It experiences much less high priced breakdowns. Its price is larger when you decide to provide or trade it in. And if repairs are necessary, they very likely will cost a lot less than they would for a car or truck that is inadequately maintained. Your auto is pleased simply because it’s finding all the loving care it desires and wants. Today’s motor vehicle really is a mechanical marvel. So a lot so, it’s easy to get its astounding general performance for granted. But just like a highly skilled athlete with very good muscle mass tone and fitness, it demands a diet regime of ongoing upkeep to retain it doing at its ideal. Its manufacturer is delighted because we’re furnishing all that he suggests. In some conditions, dependent on our encounter dealing with automobiles in our weather, we may perhaps advise maintenance solutions that exceed manufacturer recommendations. But we never will endorse companies that are not in the best interests of you and your vehicle. We’re happy due to the fact we’re carrying out what we definitely like to do. We’re content to have received the Governor’s Exemplary Employer Award for Excellence and are proud, far too, to be regarded by our peers and our great buyers as an fantastic service facility. But what sets us aside is a enthusiasm for what’s heading on beneath the hood of your auto. We consider fantastic pride in doing our occupation perfectly. Our biggest reward is figuring out that when you leave our shop, you push away in a pleased car.
Q: Notify us much more. What goods or providers do you supply?
We are a whole company automotive and truck repair service facility that provides solutions for motor vehicles of all would make and models, giving just about every type or form of assistance and we have a whole deep cleaning or detail facility as well. Now that we have extra an supplemental facility that has a point out-of-the-artwork paint and entire body refinishing program we virtually do it all.
Q: What would make your business special? What sets you aside?
A: In addition to our philosophy, I believe a few factors stand out. We actually do not help any commission income – both at the profits close or with the technician side. We are a single of the number of retailers that operates this way. We also are incredibly very pleased to be active in numerous nearby businesses – not just in immediate aid monetarily, but we are also engaged in their eyesight and management, in some conditions. We are a household-owned business enterprise. And our workforce has been equally regionally, regionally, and even nationally recognized for our management in the communities we provide. (Kent was identified by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Enterprise as the inaugural “most dedicated dealer in his community” with the “Put Extra Fantastic on the Road” award, although the nationwide journal Tire Business enterprise honored him as the “Humanitarian of the Year.”)
Q: What do you enjoy most about your work? What drew you to this operate?
A: We ALL adore what we do. We’re happy of the investment we have manufactured in our awareness, our amenities and our enterprise, with a sturdy willingness to provide. We enjoy to see our visitors in the local community and hear we did a wonderful task or served someone they referred. We are not pushed to travel the fanciest automobiles, personal the biggest properties, or fly about the earth. We love what we do, and we like to enable all people be a bit happier.
Q: What are you most proud of carrying out?
A: Supporting our employees and their households all these a long time, rising our capability to assist our community and the wonderful men and women and brings about within just it, and getting a part of a legacy that we hope rewards dedicated and passionate corporations in a regional group.
Q: How have you altered and advanced about time? What’s unique now from when you initial started out?
A: What’s various is the radical adjust in technology. Today’s motor vehicles are a great deal additional innovative than they had been when I was a younger mechanic. We have a myriad of particular tooling, experts needing to continually attend schooling, and so a lot of a lot more high priced and fragile sections and companies to mend and tackle. Our evolution has been to continue being dedicated to primary by example. Schooling our personnel to be knowledgeable, the two in the perform bays and at the entrance counter. Understanding the intricacies of outlining those people essential repairs to our visitors – it is all a day-to-day problem.
Q: What other worries have you had to overcome? Basically, if you had it to do all around once more, would you do something differently?
A: Workforce scarcity has been a predominant obstacle. It is not difficult to obtain, educate and mature a technician, but at the similar time, that requires the capacity to demand for the overhead essential to build that teaching. And to pay out technicians so that we will have a foreseeable future in our industry. That means re-educating the buyer – all the even though now struggling with the web where “everything” can be fixed for a lot less, even if they may possibly be mistaken, or if they have no notion of what Wisconsin’s rust belt does to the assistance method.
A: What are your hopes and dreams for the upcoming? Where do you see your small business in 5 yrs? 10?
A: My hopes and dreams are for my sons to increase into the company leadership and management. I have been carrying out this for above 40 a long time now, with 34 listed here as principal and operator. I believe in five to 10 yrs I would hope to see our overall body store business enterprise as lively and thoroughly produced as our tire and company business, and hopefully our local community is nevertheless flourishing and escalating. Maybe we could expand to extra locations. But hopefully, I’ll be golfing, fishing, or just basic stress-free a little bit by then!
Hook up with Olson Tire
Olson Tire & Car, 601 Forest St., Wausau – 715-845-8473
Olson System & Paint, 112 S. 7th St., Wausau – 715-845-2639
Stop by the Olson web site here and obtain them on Fb at Olson Tire & Automobile and Olson Automobile System & Paint
