By Barbara Scott
Staff Writer
“Highway Tire, Inc., is definitely a family affair,” said Scott Willey, who has been involved with the South Main St. business since an early age.
Highway Tire, Inc., located at 470 Maine Street in Caribou, is celebrating it’s 45th year of operation.
Highway Tire, located at 470 Main Street in Caribou is celebrating it’s 45th year of operation. Established in April, 1964 by Mary and Loomis ‘Sonny’ Willey along with Harold Hornbrook, whose interest in the tire business was bought out by the Willeys in the early 1980s.
The business was housed in the back part of the existing building with the Caribou By-Lo, a retail grocery store occupying the front . The Willeys purchased the rest of the building’s space from the Bouchard family about 11 years ago.
“At the time the business was started,” recalled Scott Willey, “it was just Dad and one or two other employees. I was just a baby at that time and Mom stayed home with all of us kids (Alan ‘Butch’, Tammy and Scott), but she did all the books for the business from there. For a time Mom used a two-way radio to be in touch with Dad at the shop, customers would call the house and Mom would then relay the orders coming in to Dad.” Currently, including Sonny, Alan, Tammy and Scott, the company employees a total of 10 employees.
“Just tires has always been our thing,” said Willey, “and it keeps us really busy. We are involved in wholesale, retail, commercial tire sales and farm truck service. We have three trucks on the road that deliver covering an area spanning Bridgewater to Allagash, and whenever possible we offer 24/7 road service.”
“We carry product for the smallest lawn mower to the largest loader tire,” stated Willey,” I think our largest is a 33.5 by 33, which is really huge.”
Highway Tire Inc. provides tires for lawnmowers, passenger cars, light and medium trucks, tractors, skidders and also truck tire recapping. 2009 marks the business’ 25th year of being a Cooper Tire dealer but other brands are available.
Willey added, “Our customers really are our friends. We’ve developed a good relationship with them over the years and we’re now seeing second and third generations come to us for our product and service.”
Through the years Willey noted the biggest change in the Highway Tire, Inc. business was probably in the truck tire line as the tires went from containing a tube to tubeless, resulting in longer wear. Another change included when cars went from bias to radial tires.
Noting challenges in the business, Willey said, “The big challenge probably would be in the size variation in tires. Dealing product for cars to tractors, we try to maintain the necessary inventory. If a customer comes or contacts us and we don’t happen to have the item, normally we will be able to have the product within two to five working days.
Business hours are: Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon. Telephone: 496-5843 or 498-8880.
