Spotlight: Les Schwab Tire Center – Lakewood

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Late last year our neighbor Christine Laursen asked me if I had  been to the new tire place across Wadsworth, Les Schwab Tire Center. She had, and she was impressed with not only the service and the price she got for a new set of tires, but also how personable and friendly the people working there were. “They’re amazing! I talked with Jordan, and he moved here to open the store. He really loves Lakewood. You should go meet him.”

I did. Aaron Wheeler and Jordan Tartaglioni run the tire center, opened last September. The company moved Jordan here, family and all, to open the store and get things underway. I spoke with him a few weeks ago and got more of the story.  Spotlight Interview by Bruce McDonald.

Bruce: When we first met a year ago, you told me you came here from the Pacific Northwest and you really loved the area. You were looking forward to having snow, the change of seasons, and all that. Now that you’ve been here over a full set of seasons, how’s it working out?

Jordan Tartaglioni and Aaron Wheeler

Jordan: The Colorado weather is a big change for my wife and me and we love it. We have a little two-year-old and she’s so excited about snow, loves to go sledding. We love it too. And the neighborhood’s great! We’re settling in business-wise, and have started to see a loyal following.

That’s good to know but it surprises me that the weather would be a big change. Don’t you have snow up in the Great Northwest?  Not so much, just what you’d call a dusting sometimes. I grew up in Lynden, Washington, just this side of the Canadian Border and close to the ocean. It’s a temperate climate so Colorado is very different. As for work, I started work with a door manufacturing company there. I liked the hands-on work but after a while it was so monotonous and dull. Manufacturing. A friend told me they had an opening at the Les Schwab there, in the Sales and Service department. They hired me on the spot.

From your door-making experience?  Well, there was more than that. I had some relevant automotive experience to get started with. During high school I completely rebuilt the suspension and steering on a 1994 Ford Ranger, and the knowledge I had from that gave me enough credibility to start. Then after 6 years in the business I got a promotion and a move to Grants Pass, down in Oregon. Lynden is a town of 15,000 so Grants Pass was bigger and had more things to do. We liked that aspect of it. They put me through a 2-year management training program, very intensive. We enjoyed Grants Pass, and the work was great, but still we felt that being in a big city would be exciting. 

Jordan with pen collection

So Lakewood is the big city?  Well, the Denver area is. It’s a big change for us. My wife and I grew up in a small town but we’re not small-town people. We’re very happy to have all the advantages of being here. We’re big sports fans and here we have the Broncos, Nuggets, Avalanche, Rockies, Mammoth, Rapids… it’s all here! The way the company took care of our move here was great too. We had a 3-day house-hunting trip and Les Schwab did the whole move for us. The opportunities they’ve provided me, I never could have imagined. And this neighborhood! Being a Southern Gables Business Supporter – that’s part of it too. Our little girl had such a great time at the Neighborhood Night Out. Got her face painted and enjoyed the music and the little-kids bouncy place and all the attention. That was great for us too, as a local business. We had a drawing and gave away a full set of tires, some alignments and oil changes. We enjoyed meeting people and making community connections. 

I’m glad you mentioned that. It was great having you there. I expect it’s not easy finding ways to connect in starting up a service business in a new location. We know it’s important, and we work at it. We got involved in the Jefferson County Fair, and we provide sponsorships at Bear Creek High School and one of their middle schools. We’re seeing growth, getting traction and building our local reputation as a good business to deal with. What makes that work though, more than anything, is giving your best, every day. 

It’s been a pleasure getting to know you and hearing about what brought you here to our area. Is there anything else you’d like to add?  A big part of what I have learned with Les Schwab is that every single individual’s needs are different. It takes a high level of customer service to work from that premise, and if you’re doing it right you’re always learning how to handle the next challenge, not just the one you’re on. 

Keeps you on your toes, I’m sure. We’re glad to have Les Schwab as a Southern Gables Selected Business Supporter. Thank you for that, and for telling us your story. 

Across Wadsworth from Southern Gables: Les Schwab Tire Center – Lakewood. 

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