Thinking of it as a way to give back to the community, Andy Asher recently purchased Interstate Tire Service, renamed Pacesetter Tire, and is working to revitalize the business. 

“I've heard a lot of farmers not being able to get service, and with my farming background, that one kind of hit me a little bit,” he said. “I farmed for 15-16 years, and then got into the trucking industry, but it was always a pain for us to have to mess with our own tires. So I wanted to give something back and get that fired back up.”

Asher purchased the business in June after hearing through the grapevine the owner wanted to sell. Also owner of Pace Setters Hotshot, a local hotshot trucking and freight delivery business which he started in 2014, Asher said they’d already been doing some in-house tire work at Pacesetter Tire and had fielded some outside requests for the service. Wanting consistency for both agriculture and commercial vehicles led him to the tire store. 

Asher had hoped to keep the former Interstate Tire Service name but some banking issues required the change. He decided to use Pacesetter as a tie-in to his other business.

At Pacesetter employees know that choosing the right tires isn’t just about price; it’s about safety, performance and finding the perfect fit for your driving habits. They stock everything from all-season and touring, to all-terrain and winter tires.

They offer all the big brands including Toyo, Falken, Michelin, Goodyear, Bridgestone, Cooper and more. If they don’t have something on site they are usually able to get it the next day. 

“We’re really trying to get stocked up and make sure people have tires when they need them, and if we don't have them, we can usually get them within a day,” Asher said.

Along with cars, trucks and commercial vehicles, they also have tires for smaller vehicles including ATVs and lawn mowers. 

“When we took it over and got to really looking at everything, there's tires for pretty much anything people need,” he said.

Along with tire sales, Pacesetter also offers repairs, alignments, brake service and general mechanical work. 

A key for Asher is good customer service, and it’s something he’s stressed with his employees.

“The most important thing is just customer service and making sure people are getting taken care of in a timely manner,” he said. “I think that's been helping a bunch as far as we just keep getting busier and busier every month.” 

As part of that customer service, the tire shop has two service trucks that have been staying fairly busy, and Asher said they brought back Stephen “Diesel” Hale. 

“He just had a good reputation with all the farmers, and had done it for I don't know how many years,” he said. “He left a couple years ago, and bringing him back on has definitely helped. It’s somebody that people trusted. Our service truck is getting used a lot more since we brought him back.”

When farmers come in, Asher knows they need their tires ASAP to get their equipment up and running, which is why his employees make them a priority. 

“We have four guys there working, so we're usually able to get service the same day,” he said. “We’ll get your tires fixed as long as we have the tires in stock. We can get them put back on and back out the door.”

While he hasn’t run the exact numbers, he estimates the agriculture vehicles to be about 40% of their overall business. He said there were some farmers who have been with the shop for many years and have remained. There’s also some who have come thanks to Asher’s farming background as well. 

“I've heard from guys that say, ‘Now that we know you have it, we'll start taking our tires over there,’ which is great to hear,” Asher said.

The shop has been busy since he took over, but they are expecting a slow down as winter approaches. He said some have been coming to purchase new tires ahead of the colder weather, or are planning to swap out for their snow tires. Pacesetter Tire has undergone some minor cosmetic improvements and cleanup but Asher has plans to do some remodeling both outside and in this winter. 

“We want to make it a little more friendly in our waiting room,” he said. “After the season slows down a little bit, we’ll do some remodeling.”

In the future, he’s also considering expanding, as there are a couple of different shops on the site. He’s considering making one just commercial and ag to get trailers and bigger equipment off the street. 

“The way that's set up now, when we have a big trailer there, it blocks the street quite a bit,” Asher said. “We have a big lot we can hopefully utilize versus just for storage.”

He hopes to have some longer summer hours next year that are beneficial to farmers, as well as possible opening some Saturdays.  

Asher is planning to have a website running in the next few weeks. He also appreciates any feedback from customers or community members. 

“Sometimes that's the only way you hear stuff,” he said. “This is something a little new for us and hopefully a way to give back to the community a little bit.”