Eric Svedberg is the President and Owner of European Autowerks in Virginia Beach, Virginia, a premier independent shop specializing in high-end European vehicles. Starting his journey at just sixteen, pumping gas at a local Amoco station, Eric quickly rose to become the country's youngest Amoco dealer by age twenty-two. Over the years, he transformed his hands-on experience and entrepreneurial drive into a thriving $3.7 million business. Beyond running his shop, Eric is passionate about helping ...
Nov 05, 2025•31 min•Ep. 201
Mike Edge is the host of the Gain Traction Podcast, the official podcast for the tire and automotive industry, powered by Tread Partners. With a passion for spotlighting the people behind the business, Mike has spent over four years interviewing tire dealers, shop owners, industry executives, and innovators who keep the industry rolling forward. Sonny McDonald , National Director of Training at Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp., joins Mike for this milestone episode celebrating 200 recordings of the Gain T...
Oct 29, 2025•26 min•Ep. 200
Mike Griffin is the Sales Manager at Dunlap & Kyle Tire Company in Birmingham, Alabama, that’s been serving the Southeast for decades. With years of experience behind the counter and in the field, Mike has seen firsthand how shifting markets, customer habits, and economic changes affect everyday operations. Known for his grounded leadership and people-first mindset, he brings a refreshing blend of humor, honesty, and insight into every tire business conversation. In this episode… Inflation h...
Oct 22, 2025•36 min•Ep. 199
Phillip Kane is the CEO of Turbo Wholesale Tires, home to brands like Lexani, Lionheart, and Rolling Big Power. With decades of experience at companies such as Snap-on, NAPA, Goodyear, and Pirelli, Phillip blends a lifetime in the automotive industry with a genuine passion for cars and tires. Today, he leads Turbo Wholesale Tires with a focus on helping independent dealers succeed through innovative tire industry growth strategies and strong distributor partnerships. In this episode… Growing a t...
Oct 15, 2025•22 min•Ep. 198
Chris Cloutier is the owner of Golden Rule Auto Care in Dallas, Texas, and the founder of AutoFlow, a software solution built to improve auto repair customer communication. With a background in software engineering and firsthand experience as a shop owner, Chris recognized the communication gaps that left customers frustrated and shop teams overwhelmed. By combining his technical expertise with real-world shop operations, he developed AutoFlow to provide real-time text updates, digital inspectio...
Oct 08, 2025•32 min•Ep. 197
Tom Gattuso is the Vice President of Events for SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association. With more than three decades of experience in the automotive events industry, Tom has overseen the growth of the SEMA Show into one of the largest and most influential trade shows in the world, drawing more than 160,000 attendees from 145 countries. His career began in auto shows and consumer events before joining SEMA in 2011, where he has continued to build a global marketplace that connects manuf...
Oct 01, 2025•25 min•Ep. 196
Josh Parnell is the founder of Limitless Leadership, LLC, and a former Director of Service Development at Christian Brothers Automotive. With a background that spans military service, leadership training, and years of building industry-leading programs, Josh brings a unique perspective on people-first leadership in the auto repair world. His mission today is simple: help shop owners create engaged, motivated teams that drive performance and growth. In this episode… 77% of your employees are prob...
Sep 24, 2025•29 min•Ep. 195
Kamard Johnson is the President & CEO of GTT Commercial Tires, based in Richmond, Virginia. With a professional background rooted in sales and customer service, Kamard joined forces with his brother to build a company that started with seven used tires in a shed and grew into a multi-location operation recognized on the Inc. 5000 list three years in a row. His story highlights both the opportunities and the hard lessons that come with ambition, leadership, and scaling too quickly in the tire...
Sep 17, 2025•32 min•Ep. 194
Tony O’Billovich is the leader of the Master Shop Program for Point S Tire USA. With decades of experience running and growing multiple tire and auto repair locations, Tony has seen firsthand the challenges that overwhelm shop owners and the strategies that turn things around. His focus on profitability, leadership, and people development has helped shop owners across the country regain control of their businesses, their time, and their confidence. In this episode… What happens when everyday cha...
Sep 10, 2025•30 min•Ep. 193
Tyler Paparello is the Chief Operating Officer at AMG, overseeing 28 Midas locations across New England. With a background rooted in sales, Tyler learned early on that while selling can solve short-term problems, it takes leadership, people, and process to scale a business sustainably. Today, he focuses on building systems that empower employees, earn customer trust, and create long-term growth opportunities across the organization. In this episode… What happens when a company grows faster than ...
Sep 03, 2025•29 min•Ep. 192
Christian Seem is the President & CEO of Good Turn Tire & Auto, a rapidly growing tire and auto repair company with 55 locations and 16 brands across five states. With nearly 20 years of experience in the automotive industry, Christian has worked in big box retail, commercial parts distribution, and tire retail, including leadership roles at TBC Corporation. Since joining Good Turn in 2023, he has led aggressive expansion while preserving the local brand names, cultures, and community tr...
Aug 27, 2025•29 min•Ep. 191
Bruce Davis is a veteran journalist and editor who spent 45 years shaping how the tire industry receives its news, data, and insights. As a founding staff member of Tire Business, he helped launch the publication in 1983, transforming it from an ambitious idea into one of the most trusted voices in the global tire market. Over the years, Bruce pioneered cornerstone features like the Global Tire Report, chronicled the industry’s evolution through import/export statistics and dealership rankings, ...
Aug 20, 2025•31 min•Ep. 190
Don Barnes III is the Chief Tire Guy at Belle Tire, a third-generation leader helping steer one of the oldest and most respected tire retailers in the U.S. Founded in 1922, Belle Tire has grown from a local shop into a powerhouse with over 180 locations across the Midwest. Under Don’s leadership, the company has maintained its century-long reputation by focusing on operational excellence, local relationships, and above all, outstanding customer service in the tire industry. Don is also passionat...
Aug 13, 2025•26 min•Ep. 189
Jesse Wickel is the owner of Wickel Tire Pros in Burley, Idaho. A former farmer with deep roots in agriculture, Jesse built his business from a single tire shop into a multi-location operation generating over $26 million in annual sales. With a hands-on approach, a strong community presence, and a commitment to relationship-driven service, Jesse has grown his team from just a few employees to over 80 across multiple locations, all while maintaining his small-town values. In this episode… How do ...
Aug 06, 2025•26 min•Ep. 188
Mike Lusso is a seasoned engineer at Coats Company in Nashville, Tennessee, specializing in tire changers, wheel balancers, lifts, and alignment machines. A lifelong gearhead with a passion for modifying cars, Mike channels his love for the automotive space into leadership roles, most notably as Chair of the WTSBC, a leading automotive industry council under SEMA. Through his volunteer work, Mike helps shape best practices and raise industry standards across the wheel, tire, suspension, and brak...
Jul 30, 2025•18 min•Ep. 187
Adrian Rodriguez is the Vice President of Marketing and Retail Sales at Commercial Tire, a leading tire and auto service provider with over 45 locations across Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and Utah. Before joining Commercial Tire, he spent a decade with John Deere, sharpening his expertise in marketing and retail strategy. Adrian helped lead Commercial Tire’s transition to 100% employee ownership in 2019, fostering a culture rooted in accountability and local investment. Outside of work, he’s an a...
Jul 23, 2025•28 min•Ep. 186
Joe Schafranek is an Account Manager at Tread Partners, a marketing agency focused on the tire and auto repair industry. With roots in Detroit and hands-on shop experience at Firestone and Big O, Joe brings a unique perspective to digital marketing through his understanding of both operations and data. Prior to Tread Partners, he helped grow BAIC and explored data-centric roles in the auto aftermarket. Today, Joe leverages that diverse background to help multi-location shops increase car count t...
Jul 16, 2025•24 min•Ep. 185
Dan Kahn is the Founder and CEO of Kahn Media, a public relations and marketing agency based in Los Angeles specializing in the automotive aftermarket. A lifelong car enthusiast, Dan began his career at age 16 by pitching and landing magazine features on a Mustang he restored with his father. Before founding Kahn Media in 2008, he worked as an automotive journalist and launched digital content platforms. His latest book, The New Rules of the Road , outlines his philosophy on transparency, digita...
Jul 09, 2025•33 min•Ep. 184
Dennis Feldman is the Chair of the ITDG Next Gen Committee and a third-generation operator at Performance Plus Tire, a family-owned business in Long Beach, California which specializes in classic car tires and aftermarket wheels. Keleyah Miller is the Vice Chair of the ITDG Next Gen Committee and part of the third generation at Main Street Tire in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she and her siblings are leading a company that is now 80% wholesale. Justin Pursell serves as Secretary of the ITDG...
Jul 02, 2025•24 min•Ep. 183
Joe Tomarchio Jr. is a Managing Director at FOCUS Investment Banking, where he specializes in helping auto service businesses scale and prepare for acquisition. Before joining FOCUS, Joe co-founded and scaled a 26-location tire and auto service chain, generating over $50M in revenue before selling it to Monro. With over 65 major acquisitions under his belt, he is one of the most seasoned professionals in the industry. Joe now consults for private equity firms and dealers seeking exponential grow...
Jun 25, 2025•32 min•Ep. 182
Steven and Susan Moss are the owners of Wilson Tire Pros and Automotive, a three-location tire and automotive repair business in Burlington, North Carolina. Steven, who took over the business from his father in 2009, brings a hands-on background in automotive repair and business operations. Susan, after managing military contracts in her family's hosiery business, joined Steven full-time, catalyzing the company's growth and operational evolution. Together, they’ve become prominent leaders in the...
Jun 18, 2025•37 min•Ep. 181
Rob Howden is the Director of Business Development and Series Announcer for USF Pro Championship Racing. Known as “The Voice of the Series,” he has been a fixture in motorsports media for over 30 years. He’s also the founder of Howden Media Group and eKarting News, where he continues to cover karting events across North America. Rob’s passion for racing started in go-karts and has evolved into mentoring and following drivers from childhood through to professional careers in IndyCar and beyond. I...
Jun 11, 2025•24 min•Ep. 180
Logan Leslie is the Founder and CEO of Main Street Auto, a fast-growing network of tire and auto repair shops across the United States. After serving over eight years in the military, Logan pursued a joint law and business degree, which laid the foundation for his entrepreneurial ventures. He launched Main Street Auto in 2021, starting with a single location and scaling to nearly 100 shops in under four years. Logan is also a passionate advocate for hiring veterans, building culture, and redefin...
Jun 04, 2025•31 min•Ep. 179
Mike Spagnola is President and CEO of SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association), a leading trade organization in the automotive aftermarket industry. With over 50 years of hands-on experience in the automotive world, Mike has been deeply involved in everything from car builds to legislative advocacy. Before leading SEMA, he built a career rooted in entrepreneurship and industry innovation, helping small businesses navigate evolving regulations. Today, he champions the interests of automotive...
May 28, 2025•37 min•Ep. 178
Nathan Rhodes is the Owner of Total Automotive, an independent auto repair shop based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. With a background in machining and welding, Nathan’s passion for cars began as a teenager maintaining his own vehicle. After working his way up from an installer at Pep Boys to a skilled technician, he eventually opened his own shop in 2019. Today, he leads a tight-knit team focused on quality service, honesty, and building long-term customer relationships. In this episode… The auto r...
May 21, 2025•25 min•Ep. 177
Roy Littlefield IV is the Vice President of Government Affairs for the Tire Industry Association. In his role, Roy leads advocacy efforts across state and federal levels to support independent tire and auto repair shops. With deep roots in the industry — his father also served in TIA leadership — Roy has been involved in policy from a young age. He now champions initiatives like the Right to Repair Act, helping protect consumer choice and shop independence nationwide. In this episode… The modern...
May 14, 2025•24 min•Ep. 176
Brian Bates is the President and Founder of EAS Tire & Auto, a growing chain of auto repair shops with 21 locations in the Denver metro area. After serving in the military, Brian entered the automotive industry, eventually opening his first shop in 2004. His company has expanded rapidly through strategic acquisitions and a partnership with Straightaway, a group that empowers shop owners to scale while retaining operational control. With a passion for people development and leadership, Brian ...
May 07, 2025•38 min•Ep. 175
Gus Herlong is the CEO and Co-owner of Palmetto Garage Works, a multi-location auto service franchise group based in South Carolina. Starting with five distressed Midas stores in Columbia, he has grown the company to 34 locations across multiple states. His leadership has earned him recognition including the Tire Business Humanitarian of the Year Award, the IFA Franchisor of the Year Award, and the Midas Franchisee of the Year Award. Gus is also a key voice in the Midas dealer network, having se...
Apr 30, 2025•37 min•Ep. 174
David Schardt is the President and CEO of Forgeline Motorsports, a premier manufacturer of custom, lightweight forged wheels for high-performance and racing applications. In 1994, David co-founded Forgeline in Dayton, Ohio alongside his twin brother, Steve Schardt — their passion rooted in the family’s long-standing involvement in the wheel business. With decades of hands-on experience in both distribution and manufacturing, David has helped grow Forgeline into a respected name in motorsports an...
Apr 23, 2025•20 min•Ep. 173
Richard Balan is the President of RTA Holdings, a company specializing in aftermarket vehicle outfitting, particularly commercial vehicles and off-road accessories. Notably, Raven Truck Accessories, under Richard's leadership, has successfully integrated with Trail Tire to create one-stop locations for customers, leveraging Trail Tire's extensive network and RTA's accessory expertise. Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Richard has a diverse background, having worked in the communications indust...
Apr 16, 2025•30 min•Ep. 172
