Tire Tracks

My name is Kenny Heishman, I will try to keep topics related to our family tire/auto service business, like new technologies and services in the industry, as well as locally related things, and info on sales and new services we provide. If you need your tires rotated, balanced, an oil change, wheel alignment, or brake service, come see us, we can provide you with excellent service, at a price that won't break you, or your parents, budget! We also do State Inspections. We are located on the corner of East Market St, right beside Papa John's Pizza, at the top of the hill from the Sheetz gas station. It's a white building with a BFGoodrich and Michelin sign. Papa John's has great pizza, by the way! A little history about our business, and our family, if you're interested. My father started Blue Ridge Tire in 1970. He had previously worked as a store manager for BFGoodrich back in the days when BFG had company operated stores. At that time those company stores sold not only tires, but appliances, radios, bicycles, and much more.  Before he went to work for BFG, he served in the Navy. So anyway 1970 rolls around, and with the help of some friends, he starts Blue Ridge Tire Inc. He can tell you, those first months, he did a lot of standing around waiting for the customers to come pouring in. But they did, and I now meet the children and grandchildren of those people who started dealing with Dad in the 70's. We are very thankful to have a loyal base of clients, because as Dad always says, "it's hard to do business without good customers." Back in the 70's the area around Market St east of our store was mostly farmland. When Dad started the shop, he had a small showroom and waiting area in a spot which is now one of our service bays, after about 10 years he renovated a former storage room into much larger showroom with a good bit more customer and office space. Always lots of pictures of customer's vehicles on the walls, I remember from when I was  a little boy. Over the years lots of things have changed in the automotive world, equipment gets more high tech and expensive, the town has mutiplied rapidly, and prices of course go up for everything, but the things that make Blue Ridge Tire unique, the wooden shop floors, the pictures on the walls of tire and wheel customers(they used to be black&white), the customers who come in from generation to generation, and the honesty and good service that people have come to expect from Dad and our family do not change. We are proud of that, strive to maintain that heritage of honesty, and try our very best to give your family the value you deserve for your hard earned money. My sister, Margie works in the office with Dad and I, and has been with us for about the last 8 years, I have been working here since before I was out of High School, going on 15 years. So between all the family working here, we have a few years of experience! I also have a brother, David, who is currently in the Navy, we are all very proud of him, and he always tells us how happy he is to serve and how he enjoys the experience, he has been in for almost 4 years now.