Les Schwab

Infobox Person
name= Leslie "Les" Schwab


caption=
birth_date= October 3 1917
birth_place= Bend, Oregon
death_date= May 18 2007
death_place= Prineville, Oregon
occupation= Businessman
spouse= Dorothy Harlan

Les Schwab (October 3 1917 - May 18 2007) was an American business man in the state of Oregon. He was the founder of Les Schwab Tire Centers, a chain "Modern Tire Dealer" called "arguably the most respected independent tire store chain in the United States." [http://www.moderntiredealer.com/t_inside.cfm?action=news_det&storyID=7444 Modern Tire Dealer] ] A native of Oregon, he served in the United States Army during World War II before starting his business in 1952.

Early life

Leslie Bishop Schwab was born in Bend, Oregon, on October 3 1917.cite news|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1179556028176520.xml&coll=7|work=The Oregonian|last=Rogaway|first=Mike|coauthors=Jung, Helen|title=Tire giant Les Schwab dies at 89|date=May 19, 2007|accessdate=2007-05-19] His family moved to Minnesota two years later with the young Les in tow. Then in 1929 the family moved back to Central Oregon where Schwab was schooled in a railroad boxcar. This boxcar schoolhouse was at a logging camp in Central Oregon. At age 15 Schwab became an orphan and began delivering the "Oregon Journal" newspaper. At the paper he would eventually cover all the routes in Bend, nine in all. He then completed his high school education, graduating from Bend High School. After high school he married his high school sweetheart Dorothy Harlan before becoming circulation manager for the Bend newspaper, "The Bulletin". Schwab then served in the Army Air Corps during World War II.

Tires

Les Schwab’s venture into the tire business began when he bought OK Rubber Welders in 1952. Previously, Les had never even fixed a flat tire before. He borrowed $11,000 from a relative, sold his house, and borrowed from his life insurance policy, [ cite web
url = http://www.katu.com/news/local/7584117.html
title = Tire king Les Schwab dies at age 89
author = Associated Press
publisher = KATU
date = May 182007
accessdate = 2008-02-07 ] and purchased the small shack that did not even have running water or a bathroom. From this grew a billion dollar tire “empire” based in Prineville, Oregon, that had 410 stores and $1.6 billion in annual sales by 2007. The company he built was based on the loyalty of the employees that was earned by giving them generous shares of the profit (half of a store’s profit went to employees of that store), lucrative benefits, and only promoting from within the company.

In the communities served by these stores, the company became known for their advertising featuring employees running out to meet customers, an annual free beef promotion, and the company slogan: "If we can't guarantee it, we won't sell it.". Despite the success of the company, Les Schwab refused to take the company public.

Family and later life

Les and his wife Dorothy had two children, Harlan and Margie. Harlan died in an automobile accident in 1971 while Margie Schwab Denton died in 2005 from cancer. [Rogoway, Mike. Schwab handoff planned in detail. "The Oregonian", May 23, 2007.] In 1986 wrote an autobiography, "Les Schwab, Pride in Performance, Keep it Going". In the late 1980s he gave up day-to-day control of the company. [Rogoway, Mike. Tire giant rolls hub out of town. "The Oregonian", December 13, 2006.] In the early 1990s he and his wife donated funds to the local hospital to fund an expansion in honor of his son. [Rogoway, Mike. Schwab's legacy is in his business. "The Oregonian", May 31, 2007.] Then on Friday May 18 2007 at the age of 89 Les Schwab died in Prineville after his health had begun to fail in late 2005.

External links

* [http://blog.oregonlive.com/oregonianextra/1997/09/profile_of_les_schwab_in_1997.html The Tire King: Les Schwab @ 80] - "The Oregonian" - 28-Sep-1997
* [http://www.nwcn.com/business/stories/NW_051807ORBlesschwabobitKC.81c0785c.html Les Schwab obituary] - NWCN.com - AP - 18-May-2007
* [http://www.leg.state.or.us/07reg/measures/scr1.dir/scr0019.intro.html In memoriam for the Oregon Legislature]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/10/business/10schwab.html?fta=y Les Schwab, Who Turned a Rundown Shop Into a Tire Chain, Dies at 89,] The New York Times

References