Teamwork is key to running a successful business, and no one knows that better than Craig Tate. A second-generation tire dealer with a passion for the tire business, Craig was a college football player who took over his father’s tire dealership with his brother, Chuck, in 2000. The two grew the business to seven locations, running the multi-store business like they were operating a football team.

In 2018, Tate Boys won the 2018 Tire Review Top Shop Award, being named the best tire dealer in North America. Although Craig sold his business last year to Sun Tire Auto & Service, he remains active in the tire industry as a consultant with Sun Auto, living out his passion for the business and working on processes and improving the customer experience.


Johnny g first met Craig about six years ago and since then, the two bonded over their love of sports and the tire business. In this episode of Johnny g & Friends, presented by Firestone, Craig and Johnny g delve into:

- How Johnny g and Craig met and how they grew their relationship into a brotherhood (1:00)
- What Craig learned from his dad, Bob, and how Craig brought the foundations running a business with him into his own (2:52)
- The Tate family’s history of professional and college sports, including Craig’s wins at the University of Tulsa and what he learned from his brother, Chuck, in his professional baseball career (7:25)
- How Craig’s discipline as an athlete influenced how he ran his tire business and why it’s important to be a student of the business and pay attention to detail (9:46)
- Why emotional engagement is the most important thing to a tire sale (13:05)
- The KPI that Craig believes is the most important to track to aid in business intelligence and growth (14:10)
- What Craig believes is the ideal technician training process and how keeping track of technician performance fuels healthy competition (17:30)
- The legacy Chuck, Craig’s brother, mentor and business partner, left at Tate Boys after his sudden death and how Craig continues to instill Chuck’s winning attitude in the business and his life (21:50)
- Craig and Johnny g’s memories together including playing cribbage, golf and other healthy competition (26:48)
- Why Craig decided to sell Tate Boys Tire & Service to private equity backed Sun Auto Tire & Service and how Craig is working with Sun Auto to improve retail processes and the customer experience (27:55)

More on Firestone: firestonetire.com
More Johnny g & Friends: https://www.tirereview.com/tag/johnny-g-friends/