Joel’s Tire owner Joel Ylvisaker, right, and manager Ryan Rodeen show off some of the inventory being stocked in the new Yakima store, slated to open Feb. 8.  Staff photo

By RICHARD BURGER

A 45-year veteran in the tire business has opened the first of what may be a number of full-service tire stores in the Yakima Valley.

Joel’s Tire, owned by Joel Ylvisaker, was slated to open its doors Feb. 8, at 1203 N. 40^th in Yakima.

“We’re excited about being here,” said Ylvisaker. “This is a great place to start a business.” 

Ylvisaker said he’s already been doing business in the Yakima area prior to opening the new store, operating three service trucks from a local warehouse, servicing commercial vehicles.

With the new store he’ll expand his business into the consumer side of the market, offering passenger-car and pickup tires, brakes, shocks, wheels, and more.

“From the smallest wheelbarrow tires to the largest off-road tires,” said store manager Ryan Rodeen. “If it’s round and black and holds air, we’ve got it.”

“We’re a service organization that just happens to sell tires,” said Ylvisaker. “If the customer is not saying ‘Wow,’ we’re doing something wrong.”

Ylvisaker said the store will offer pickup and delivery, and will store customers’ summer tires during the winter and winter tires during the summer.

“We’ll make it very convenient,” he said.

Ylvisaker said his store is a member of the American Car Care Centers nationwide dealer network, any other member of which will honor warranties or service needs.

He said his store “buys tires like a supermarket buys groceries,” by which he means that the store will deal in high volume to help hold down the cost of his tires.

“We shop the world for the best price,” he said.

He said the store will employee about 10 people, and that number will grow as the business grows.

“Our main focus is that we take care of our employees and our employees take care of our customers,” said Ylvisaker.

Among the employee benefits are a profit-sharing program, he said.

Ylvisaker already has his eye on expanding to other locations, as well.

He said it is the company’s policy that when employees have demonstrated their ability to successfully operate a Joel’s Tire location, “we’ll build them a store.”

The Yakima store hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The store can be reached at 249-5420.