Topeka, Kan. -- In order to have a full-service operation, R. G. "Dutch" Tryon, owner and general manager of two Big O Tires and Service Centers in Topeka, said he needs to do more than sell tires.
"I have 11 employees in this store, with eight in the shop," Tyron said.  "Five of the shop men are general service technicians.  Those individuals can do your standard tire work, oil changes, light mechanical work, flushes, and brake work. They are the people that do the maintenance work.
    "I have three technicians that have a specialty field," he said.  "My lead technician is Terry Owens, who is also my shop foreman. He is our diagnostic and drivability expert. He is the person the other techs refer to if they hit a stumbling block. He is our guy that can do pretty much everything bumper to bumper.
"Then we have Ben Lutz, who is our front-end and top part of the engine specialist," Tyron said. "It is his job to do some of the work on front ends, tuneups, and engine work. Ben is very fast and efficient with his repairs. Then I have Mike Stevens who is our suspension and rear-end type work expert." All of them are ASE-certified, he said.
    In order to stay up with the changes in the industry, Tryon said he is investing in qualified people who are interested in staying up with the changes. He said he is also investing in equipment to stay up with the ever-changing engineering in the automobile. He said his latest purchase was the Tech II scanner in order to handle the GM models. The shops purchased the OTC Genisys about eight months back, he said, and also own a Snap-on scanner. The shop also has the top-of-the-line 3D Hunter alignment machine, he said. 
"The industry is changing," Tryon said. "Trucks are getting bigger and longer, and the system we have here will not allow us to put some of the quad-type vehicles and long trucks on the rack to do an alignment. We are going to install a 200-inch-wheel-base alignment lift machine in our facility as well. So therefore, there shouldn't be any vehicles we can't do, including limousines."
    Tryon said he is investing in technology and has partnered with DST Software, which Big O has chosen for its software company, and with Activant, which uses a parts lookup and catalog system that includes most manufacturers. He said he also uses Mitchell on Demand and is considering using Identifix.
    "I also invest in my technicians and their continuing education," Tryon said. "We have Olson attend as many of the clinics as he can, and I also attend some of them. Olson will attend, take notes, and come back and share his new knowledge with the other technicians.  
    "It is all about partnership," Tryon said. "You need to have partnership with suppliers, equipment companies, educators, and Internet suppliers. You must invest in your people. Training is extremely important.
    "I have great partnership with my suppliers," he said. NAPA is the shop's primary supplier, he said, noting that it will go as far as to pick up from another source and deliver it to the shop. Cary Mullen is his NAPA salesman, he said.  Warranty is an important factor in this partnership, he said, along with going that extra step to make it convenient for his staff and customers. He said he also uses CARQUEST, O'Reilly, Kansas Automotive, and Advance Auto Parts.
    "Everything is about convenience for the consumer," Tryon said. "We offer a partnership with some glass companies and even insurance companies. Customers will call us and we handle all the legwork for them. They just drop off the car, and we do all the scheduling for them."
    The shop has added a $40,000 LED reader sign to the pole signage in front of the building, which allows the shop to run specials and change its message at any time, Tyron said.  He said he can change the message from his home computer, his PC at the store, or any place that he can access the Internet. Therefore, if the weather changes, he noted that he can change what he is promoting.
    When it comes future concerns, Tryon said, "It is the ever-changing automobile repair techniques I worry about." He said he is quickly learning that even car dealerships are not experts on their own vehicles and that they run into the same problems that some of the independent shops are experiencing.
"This is because 25 years ago, the automobile used the same repair techniques and parts for five to eight years," Tyron said.  "Now you can find that they could make changes within the first year. That technology is only good for a very short time, and then it changes. This is especially difficult for a company that is not vehicle specific and works on many different cars each day."
    Tryon said he has a 10-year plan that involves opening more stores, but for the immediate future he wants to streamline his operation and make it as profitable as he can so that he can finance future expansion.
    Tryon said he worked for Goodyear Tire and Rubber for 10 years as an executive, and then as vice president with Tires Plus for 10 years covering 18 states. His wife, Jacqui, is the company's office manager, he said.