Secrets to Scaling Your Auto Service Business With Joe Tomarchio Jr. of FOCUS Investment Banking
Release Date: 06/25/2025
Why This COO Believes Scaling Starts With People, Not Profit with Tyler Paparello of AMG
Gain Traction
Tyler Paparello is the Chief Operating Officer at AMG, overseeing 28 Midas locations across New England. With a background rooted in sales, Tyler learned early on that while selling can solve short-term problems, it takes leadership, people, and process to scale a business sustainably. Today, he focuses on building systems that empower employees, earn customer trust, and create long-term growth opportunities across the organization. In this episode… What happens when a company grows faster than one person can manage? For Tyler Paparello, it meant learning a lesson every leader eventually...
info_outline
How to Scale a Tire Brand Without Losing Community Trust with Christian Seem of Goodturn Tire & Auto
Gain Traction
Christian Seem is the President & CEO of Good Turn Tire & Auto, a rapidly growing tire and auto repair company with 55 locations and 16 brands across five states. With nearly 20 years of experience in the automotive industry, Christian has worked in big box retail, commercial parts distribution, and tire retail, including leadership roles at TBC Corporation. Since joining Good Turn in 2023, he has led aggressive expansion while preserving the local brand names, cultures, and community trust that give each store its value. His leadership philosophy focuses on building strong teams,...
info_outline
Why Tire Business Became the Trusted Voice of an Entire Industry with Bruce Davis of Tire Business
Gain Traction
Bruce Davis is a veteran journalist and editor who spent 45 years shaping how the tire industry receives its news, data, and insights. As a founding staff member of Tire Business, he helped launch the publication in 1983, transforming it from an ambitious idea into one of the most trusted voices in the global tire market. Over the years, Bruce pioneered cornerstone features like the Global Tire Report, chronicled the industry’s evolution through import/export statistics and dealership rankings, and built a reputation for delivering business-focused journalism with credibility and depth. His...
info_outline
Lessons in Customer Service from a Century-Old Tire Company with Don Barnes III of Belle Tire
Gain Traction
Don Barnes III is the Chief Tire Guy at Belle Tire, a third-generation leader helping steer one of the oldest and most respected tire retailers in the U.S. Founded in 1922, Belle Tire has grown from a local shop into a powerhouse with over 180 locations across the Midwest. Under Don’s leadership, the company has maintained its century-long reputation by focusing on operational excellence, local relationships, and above all, outstanding customer service in the tire industry. Don is also passionate about youth development and community engagement, leading Belle Tire’s involvement in one of...
info_outline
How a Farmer Turned a Small Tire Shop into a $26M Business
Gain Traction
Jesse Wickel is the owner of Wickel Tire Pros in Burley, Idaho. A former farmer with deep roots in agriculture, Jesse built his business from a single tire shop into a multi-location operation generating over $26 million in annual sales. With a hands-on approach, a strong community presence, and a commitment to relationship-driven service, Jesse has grown his team from just a few employees to over 80 across multiple locations, all while maintaining his small-town values. In this episode… How do you take a rural tire shop doing $1.2 million in annual sales and scale it to over $26...
info_outline
The Council That’s Quietly Shaping the Future of the Auto Industry
Gain Traction
Mike Lusso is a seasoned engineer at Coats Company in Nashville, Tennessee, specializing in tire changers, wheel balancers, lifts, and alignment machines. A lifelong gearhead with a passion for modifying cars, Mike channels his love for the automotive space into leadership roles, most notably as Chair of the WTSBC, a leading automotive industry council under SEMA. Through his volunteer work, Mike helps shape best practices and raise industry standards across the wheel, tire, suspension, and brake sectors. In this episode… If you’ve ever wondered what real influence looks like behind the...
info_outline
Employee Ownership and Rural Market Success With Adrian Rodriguez of Commercial Tire
Gain Traction
Adrian Rodriguez is the Vice President of Marketing and Retail Sales at Commercial Tire, a leading tire and auto service provider with over 45 locations across Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and Utah. Before joining Commercial Tire, he spent a decade with John Deere, sharpening his expertise in marketing and retail strategy. Adrian helped lead Commercial Tire’s transition to 100% employee ownership in 2019, fostering a culture rooted in accountability and local investment. Outside of work, he’s an avid skier and downhill mountain biker, embracing extreme sports with the same energy he brings...
info_outline
Marketing Strategies To Boost Bay Traffic With Joe Schafranek of Tread Partners
Gain Traction
Joe Schafranek is an Account Manager at Tread Partners, a marketing agency focused on the tire and auto repair industry. With roots in Detroit and hands-on shop experience at Firestone and Big O, Joe brings a unique perspective to digital marketing through his understanding of both operations and data. Prior to Tread Partners, he helped grow BAIC and explored data-centric roles in the auto aftermarket. Today, Joe leverages that diverse background to help multi-location shops increase car count through performance-driven strategies. In this episode… Marketing in the auto repair industry often...
info_outline
An Open and Honest Approach to Marketing With Dan Kahn of Kahn Media
Gain Traction
Dan Kahn is the Founder and CEO of Kahn Media, a public relations and marketing agency based in Los Angeles specializing in the automotive aftermarket. A lifelong car enthusiast, Dan began his career at age 16 by pitching and landing magazine features on a Mustang he restored with his father. Before founding Kahn Media in 2008, he worked as an automotive journalist and launched digital content platforms. His latest book, The New Rules of the Road, outlines his philosophy on transparency, digital strategy, and authority marketing in a fast-evolving business world. In this episode… Trust and...
info_outline
Legacy and Innovation With Dennis Feldman, Keleyah Miller and Justin Pursell of ITDG Next Gen
Gain Traction
Dennis Feldman is the Chair of the ITDG Next Gen Committee and a third-generation operator at Performance Plus Tire, a family-owned business in Long Beach, California which specializes in classic car tires and aftermarket wheels. Keleyah Miller is the Vice Chair of the ITDG Next Gen Committee and part of the third generation at Main Street Tire in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she and her siblings are leading a company that is now 80% wholesale. Justin Pursell serves as Secretary of the ITDG Next Gen Committee and oversees commercial, wholesale, and retread operations at Bergey’s...
info_outlineJoe Tomarchio Jr. is a Managing Director at FOCUS Investment Banking, where he specializes in helping auto service businesses scale and prepare for acquisition. Before joining FOCUS, Joe co-founded and scaled a 26-location tire and auto service chain, generating over $50M in revenue before selling it to Monro. With over 65 major acquisitions under his belt, he is one of the most seasoned professionals in the industry. Joe now consults for private equity firms and dealers seeking exponential growth or strategic exits.
In this episode…
Auto service businesses often undervalue their labor, hurting both profitability and employee retention. Many operators struggle with hiring because they don’t charge enough to offer competitive wages or create appealing work environments. How can owners realign their pricing and culture to build a more sustainable and attractive operation?
According to Joe Tomarchio Jr., who leads strategic growth initiatives for FOCUS Investment Banking, the key lies in charging what you're worth and investing that revenue back into your team. By adjusting labor rates and responding rapidly to cost increases, Joe helped transform underperforming stores into profitable ones. His four-pillar hiring approach focused on attitude, enthusiasm, work ethic, and moral compass fosters loyalty, high standards, and accountability.
On this episode of Gain Traction, Mike Edge welcomes Joe for a discussion about strategic pricing, acquisitions, and creating a workplace where technicians and staff want to stay. Joe shares his leadership principles, anecdotes from his time at Monro, and actionable advice for shop owners looking to grow, sell, or simply survive in today’s competitive market.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- [02:04] The journey from one store in Baltimore to a $50M tire and auto service empire
- [06:22] Why Joe Tomarchio Jr. focused solely on acquisitions for the last 8 years at Monro
- [08:05] The link between low labor rates and hiring challenges in auto shops
- [09:15] Why paying employees well is essential for customer satisfaction and retention
- [15:06] Joe’s customer service philosophy: empower frontline staff with $500 autonomy
- [16:50] Why allowing employees to make mistakes is crucial for growth
- [18:01] The four pillars Joe used for hiring: enthusiasm, attitude, work ethic, and moral compass
- [29:26] Joe’s current work at FOCUS Investment Banking helping dealers grow or exit
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Joe Tomarchio Jr. on LinkedIn
- FOCUS Investment Banking
- Richard Balan on LinkedIn
- Raven Truck Accessories
- Robert Gross obituary
- Mike Edge on LinkedIn
- Tread Partners
Quotable Moments:
- “If you can’t charge enough, you can’t pay enough — and then you can’t retain the right people.”
- “Pay more, but demand more. I strive for perfection and settle for excellence.”
- “To beat me, you have to eat me. If I haven’t won, the war isn’t over.”
- “You pay peanuts, you get monkeys — and monkeys don’t deliver superior service.”
- “I know the top 10% and the bottom 10% of my team. Guess which one you don’t want to be?”
Action Steps:
- Raise your labor rates now: Don’t wait for inventory to turn — adjust pricing as soon as costs increase.
- Invest in your team: Pay above market rate to attract and retain top technicians and managers.
- Screen for character, not just skill: Use the four pillars — attitude, enthusiasm, work ethic, and moral compass — as your hiring filter.
- Empower store managers: Give them financial autonomy to resolve customer issues quickly and effectively.
- Lead from the field: Spend time in your stores to connect with employees and understand operational challenges firsthand.
Sponsor for this episode...
This episode is brought to you by Tread Partners.
At Tread Partners, we provide digital marketing for multi-location tire dealers and auto repair shops.
By using our strategy, branding, and marketing services, we help shops sell more tires and put more cars in bays.
We’ve helped companies like Action Gator Tire, Colony Tire and Service, and Ulmer’s Auto Care Center bring extreme growth in paid leads, ROI, and searches.
So, what are you waiting for?
Visit www.treadpartners.com or email info@treadpartners.com to learn more.