05/03/2021
We have been feeling the love for Barry over the last few days from employees past and present, clients, vendors and anyone who knew him. He had that rare ability to touch so many different lives. We miss him.
Now we address the enormous issue of a Direct Tire without Barry. He knew this day would come, albeit differently, and he had been working diligently over the last few years to find partners who would carry on the tradition he painstakingly built. We are very excited to announce that longtime GM Bob Lane will be purchasing the Watertown location and carrying on Barry’s Direct Tire Difference. Bob has been with DT for 25 years and over the past 3 years has worked closely with Barry preparing for this. Barry was adamant that Bob is the best person to ensure that Barry’s legacy will continue for many years to come in Watertown. Longtime employees Doug Smith and Clark Goodpaster will be staying with Bob and Watertown, ensuring a smooth transition. All warranties and prepaid packages will be honored and our clients will see the same faces and minimal change. Barry was so proud and thrilled to be passing the DT legacy to Bob and we know you will be too.
For the other locations, Barry sought out his friend Paul Sullivan appreciating that Sullivan Tire is a local chain like us, well respected in the community and could offer our clients a motoring experience similar to ours. Barry and Sullivan Tire have been collaborating on this transition for over 2 years and Sullivan Tire will be assuming ownership of our Medway and Peabody locations during the week of 5/10. Barry was very concerned about the retention of Direct Tire employees under new ownership and Sullivan Tire is intent on keeping everyone. Personnel from their HR department will be in our Peabody and Medway stores this week to chat with our folks about employment. Sullivan Tire will be honoring any warranties you may have with us and will continue to store your tires in Medway and Peabody for our storage clients.
Barry tried mightily, but our Norwood location was hit particularly hard by the pandemic economic downturn and he was unable to find someone to assume ownership of that store. As a result, we are sorry to say we will be shutting down Norwood operations in the latter part of May. Again, Barry was concerned about his employees, so the good folks at Sullivan Tire have agreed to step up and will be interviewing our Norwood team for positions in one or more of their 73 locations. All warranties will be honored in our Watertown store. We will be reaching out to our Norwood storage clients about their stored tires and wheels.
The Care Care Rewards program will end with the sale and points will not be transferred to the New Direct Tire. Bob plans to restart a points program in Watertown at a later date. And Bob will offer the Norwood, Medway and Peabody clients free seasonal rotation thru the 2021 Winter season. Any prepaid packages or tires from Norwood, Peabody or Medway will be honored in Watertown or we’ll refund any money owed to you.
If we have learned anything in the last few days it’s that we are more than a business, we are a community. And this is a big change to that community that is happening fast. Barry wanted to be here to oversee this and let everyone know how much confidence he has in Bob and Sullivan Tire to make this transition as smooth as possible. The rest of us here at Direct Tire will try hard to do everything we can to carry out his wishes. Thank you from all of us for the loyalty over the years and we hope to see you in Watertown with Bob and his Team! Great things ahead!
