Our History
"Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success."
- Henry Ford
Early Beginnings
The history of Eastmen Tire Supplies is the personification of this notable Henry Ford quote. It is the story of two brothers who shared a similar passion for life, goals, and work ethic and together created thriving family businesses. Thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit of Dave and Dara's father, Floyd, they learned the importance of prioritizing faith, hard work, and loyalty. From Floyd's training in his service station equipment business, both brothers gained a working knowledge of the tire supply business. Floyd's leadership example demonstrated the balance necessary to manage a successful business while remaining true to personal priorities. Their small beginnings of working from their cars and home-based operations have grown to warehouses accommodating "Everything for Tires."
Memories along the way...
"We would drive into a gas station, stab a hole in the tire, and say, 'Hey, I want you to look at my tire.' We'd show them how easy it was to repair the tire with the new plugs." - Dara Harrington reminiscing about their simple and honest sales techniques.
"Tire plugs were the new thing. The string idea had been out there for a long time, but the "new" plug was fast and didn't need to be sewn into the tire. The "hands-on" demonstrations of the product on our own personal vehicles proved to the customer we and our products were trustworthy and reliable ..."
"As we learned our business, we found that our biggest competitor in the U.S. was in our own backyard. To compete, we focused on customer relationships and loyalties to stand out as different from the "Big Guy". They would tell the customer, 'Your equipment is too old; replace it.' So, we went the extra mile and repaired or replaced hard-to-find parts to keep their equipment running for a few more years. Our beginning customer base of small, family-owned businesses appreciated the genuine personal interest and honest customer service. Going the extra mile so their equipment and business would flourish made us valuable to them."
"... Working together is success."
Our Ascot membership facilitates growing our existing customer relationships and helping them to achieve success! When our customers succeed, we succeed!