ITDG Tire Dealer of The Year - Wilks Tire & Battery Service - Logan Wilks

Episode 138

Logan Wilks

Wilks Tire & Battery Service

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Logan Wilks is the Vice President of Wilks Tire & Battery Service, a family-owned company with a rich history originating from the post-World War II era. Under his leadership, the company has nearly doubled its locations, expanding their footprint throughout Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia, including two retread plants and a distribution center. He is known for his forward-thinking approach, balancing aggressive growth with a strong emphasis on taking care of employees and customers. With a background triple-majoring at the University of Alabama and further education in Norway, Logan brings a global perspective fused with deeply rooted familial values into running the business.

In this episode…

Imagine surviving a World War II plane crash, starting a local service station, and then building a legacy that extends through generations and across state lines. How can one person’s miraculous survival and entrepreneurial spirit ignite a family brand that prides itself on extraordinary service and integrity?

According to Logan Wilks of Wilks Tire & Battery Service, his grandfather Bill Wilks’ survival during World War II and subsequent founding of the company laid the foundation for a thriving family business built on exceptional service and integrity. Bill’s success story has grown from a humble business to a thriving enterprise encompassing 12 locations across three states, two retread plants, and a distribution center. Logan attributes the company’s success to a focus on taking care of people, working with integrity, and giving back to the community — values instilled by his grandfather and carried forward by subsequent generations.

On this episode of Gain Traction, Logan joins host Mike Edge to discuss the poignant history of a family business forged in the aftermath of World War II, chronicling its growth from a single man’s vision to a thriving operation spanning multiple states. Logan shares insights into their expansion strategy, focusing on acquisitions and the intrinsic value of employees and customer service. He highlights the importance of personal growth and its impact on the company’s development.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

[2:09] The riveting story of the company’s founder’s near-death experience in World War II
[10:10] Why Wilks Tire & Battery Service prioritizes employees and customers
[13:47] The strategy of choosing acquisitions over starting new businesses
[16:14] Why the recent expansion into Georgia is significant for Wilks Tire & Battery Service
[17:16] Logan Wilks shares his distinct perspective on setting achievable goals for company growth
[20:59] The profound and inspirational life motto that guides Logan personally and professionally
[23:58] Logan discusses his love for travel and some favorite destinations around the world

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

“You be happy. The world’s out there. If you ever want to come back to the business, it’s here.”
“If I didn’t come back to the business then, I may never do it.”
“We take care of our people, we take care of our employees, and in return, we expect them to take care of our customers.”
“The tire industry is just fun.”
“I told myself, and told my father, I’ll give it one year, and we’ll see what happens.”

Action Steps:

Embrace your history and use it as a foundation for growth, as Logan did by continuing the legacy of his family business. Effective because it leverages existing goodwill and experience while promoting a culture of integrity and service.
Foster strong relationships with both employees and customers to ensure the longevity of your business. Vital for creating a supportive working environment and ensuring quality customer service, as prioritized by Wilks Tire.
Consider acquisitions as a means of growth to capitalize on established customer bases and experienced staff. Helps quickly expand your business and mitigate the risks associated with starting from scratch, as demonstrated by Wilks Tire’s strategy.
Set clear goals for expansion that are ambitious yet realistic, similar to Logan’s aim for two to three acquisitions per year. Provides focus and direction for your business growth efforts without overextending resources.
Incorporate a personal life philosophy into your business practice, mirroring Logan’s inspiration from Martin Treptow’s wartime pledge. Encourages a sense of personal responsibility and dedication to the success of the broader endeavor.

Transcript

Announcer:

Welcome to the Gain Traction podcast, where we feature top automotive entrepreneurs and experts and share their inspiring stories. Now let’s get started with the show.

Mike:

Hello folks. Welcome to the Gain Traction podcast. I am Mike Edge, your host. Today’s guest is Logan Wilks, vice president of Wilks Tire and Battery Service with 12 locations throughout Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia, two retread plants and a distribution center.

Before we get started, I need to do our sponsorship. This sponsorship is specifically directed to multi-location tire and auto repair shop owners and operators specifically. This episode is brought to you by the ReTread Marketing Program created by Tread Partners. Do you want customers back that have gone missing? Tread Partners runs a program that guarantees your marketing money. No tricks. It’s a customer re-engagement program going after your best lost customers. It’s a one-time 120-day program that generates a 10 to one return on investment. It’s guaranteed. Tread Partners gets your best lost customers back to spend money with you. These are customers that are currently in your point of sale system right now.

So, for example, if you invest $5,000 today, you will receive a return of investment of $50,000 within 120 days from the target list of best lost customers. Tread Partners works only within the tire and auto repair industry. Tread Partners specializes for you. The ReTread campaign works and every tire and auto repair shop in North America should be doing it at least once a year to clean up their books. To learn more, visit TreadPartners.com.

Folks, if you’ve been listening the last couple of months, you know I’ve been giving a good shout out to the Traction Summit by Smithers. You can learn more about it at TractionSummit.com. The Traction Summit 2024 is hosted in Charlotte, North Carolina this year. The dates are August 13th, the 14th. And for more information, as I said, just visit TractionSummit.com.

All right, I’m excited about our guest today. I’ve gotten to know Logan for the last couple of months. We met through ITDG, Independent Tire Dealer Group. And without further ado, Logan, welcome to the Gain Traction podcast.

Logan:

Hey Mike, thank you for having me. Great to be here today.

Mike:

Logan, you and I had a rare occasion that doesn’t happen very often in probably either one of our lives, but I think our schedules ended up being a little more clear in the Friday that we met and we met for lunch and ended up talking for almost three hours.

Logan:

That is correct. That is correct. That wonderful restaurant there in, what was that? Brentwood, Tennessee.

Mike:

Yes, sir. And we met and talked, what was it? Judge Beans is the restaurant, so I don’t mind giving them a shout-out. It’s a little beautiful dive is what it is. And they got great barbecue, but we had a lot of fun covering a lot of topics in life and it has been a pleasure getting to know you. But one of them that stood out to me just because I liked the World War II generation, we called them the Greatest Generation. But your granddad was from that generation, and if I’m not mistaken, he had a big beginning or he was the big push in starting Wilks Tire. If you don’t mind, if you give the audience a little bit about that history.

Logan:

Yeah, I really enjoy sharing this story for many reasons. It’s a true American success story and truly a miracle in many ways. My grandfather, Bill Wilks came of age when World War II was going on. And so like many of the young men in our country back then, many of his friends, he enlisted actually in the Air Corps. Back then it was the Air Corps. And he eventually got deployed over to Norwich, England and he did see some action. He was a Togglier and a B-24 Liberator, which was one of the big bomber planes back then. And so they do the bombing runs over Germany.

One particular day, one morning they were testing a new payload is my understanding. They were testing some bigger bombs. And so they had tried to make the plane as light as possible. Not all the usual crew were on the plane with him, but they took off early that morning. He, from his recollection, remembers being asleep at the far back of the plane. And then the next thing he knows, he wakes up in a field and he was the only survivor. The plane crashed, they’re not sure exactly what happened. It may have clipped some trees or power lines as it took off because it was too heavy and he got thrown from the plane, best they can tell.

So he was the only survivor of that crash, truly a miracle that he lived. And so while he was over there recovering from those injuries, the war ended and eventually he got to return home. And so when he did, as all those men that were returning home did, they had to find work. And so he worked in local service stations around town and eventually found a ad in a newspaper for a battery route out of Nashville, Tennessee, Hester Battery Company. So he did that for a few years before he decided to jump into the tire business and bought a couple of tires in 1952 and said, “All right, here we go.” So that was the start of our company, Wilks Tire and Battery Service.

Mike:

Man, that’s just an awesome story. And like you said, the best word to describe it is miraculous. I mean, you’re the only survivor of a plane crash and that in of itself, but the fact that he was asleep, I mean, there’s probably some blessing in that, not knowing that it’s happening at the time it happened.

Logan:

Absolutely, absolutely. That was one of those stories I didn’t really get to hear from him. Obviously I’ve heard that from my father and from my uncle. I was still young when my grandfather passed away, so I never really got to ask him those questions and try to figure those things out. But really blessed obviously that that story played out the way it did and I’m here today.

Mike:

Man, it is. It’s so cool. I get a little philosophical here, but it also lets you know how bad war is in some ways because war can change so much in a family tree or what was supposed to have been there and is not now. And then you look at your family and you guys were all there, and then what was created, and you guys have the operation that you have today, and it all started from one man. I don’t know, it just kind of shows the beauty of life, if that makes sense, when we think about it in depth that way.

Logan:

No doubt, no doubt. One of the things I do recall my grandfather talking about, a lot of people like to reference “the good old days”, and he would always say, “What good old days?” He didn’t have that same recollection of his early years as everybody else did. So yeah, war is not a good thing and very thankful that those men served during that time for us.

Mike:

Yeah, I’ve often thought about that. How could that be good old days? Because when you watch the movies on World War II or anything related about it, even post-war and it was then the Cold War and the spies and all that, the intensity of it all was, I’m like you or your granddad, I don’t know how good that is or how good they remember that because it’s always an intense period. You always felt like you’re on edge, basically.

Logan:

Absolutely.

Mike:

Well, let’s talk about where Wilks is today. I mean, when did you get into the business and did you know you wanted to be in the business as a youngster or did you try to fly somewhere else and then get drawn back in like some folks, or how’d that work out for you?

Logan:

Yeah, great question. I obviously grew up in the business and grew up around the business. I remember my father working a lot in my early years, and that obviously set an example for me from 14 years of age or so. I think I started working a little bit in the company. I remember one of my very first jobs was just putting up tires, inventorying tires. That was fun. But I was never really seriously full-time in the business. I worked summer, some and whatnot.

But one thing my father always did or said to me was, “You do whatever you want to do. You be happy. The world’s out there. If you ever want to come back to the business, it’s here, but you don’t have to.” And so I never really had that mindset of the necessity to do it. I was thankfully good in school. I got good grades, I worked hard, played sports. So I decided to go to the University of Alabama and triple majored there with economics, finance and accounting. That was a fun time. Alabama had Nick Saban. My freshman year at the University of Alabama was Saban’s first National Championship ’09.

Mike:

Wow. Great start for you. Yeah, that’s a great start.

Logan:

Yeah, it can’t get any better than this. And then we got two more while I was there. So that was a really cool experience. But after those five years at Alabama, I started having this desire, this inkling to do something else. Growing up in Alabama, I didn’t really get to see a lot of the world. I traveled a lot around the US, but not out of the country. And I just had this thought, I want to go see the world.

So I kind of put the two together, continuing my education along with a desire to travel. And I found a school in Norway of all places, the BI Norwegian Business School. And then I went and did a two-year master program there. And it was towards the end of my tenure there that I realized that the family business had an opportunity for me to come back. And if I didn’t do it then, gosh, I may never do it. So I told myself and told my father, I’ll give it one year and we’ll see what happens. And then I got sucked in as so many do because the tire industry’s just, it’s fun.

Mike:

It is.

Logan:

So, here I am seven years later.

Mike:

Well, I recently had Mike Graber, president of Toyo Tire on the podcast, and he was talking about when he left the business and then he came back. He said, “It seems like even if we try to leave, we come back to it. And whether it’s the smell or something, it always draws us back.” We both ended up agreeing though. But the people in the industry make it a great industry, and that’s the best part about doing these podcasts. I get to meet so many great people like yourself, and there’s just a lot of good people in the industry. I think that’s one of the glue or sticky points to the industry, if you will.

Logan:

Yep, I agree wholeheartedly. Yep.

Mike:

So as you came back, did you step in the business and know exactly which way you wanted to take it? How did you guys move the needle, and what was your observation in that first year when you got back?

Logan:

That’s a great question. I remember sitting down with my father at some point not long after I came back, and I told him my desires for growth, not just for the company but personally. And I knew that in order for me to continue to grow, whether it be in my career or personal life, the company also needed to grow and do well. He and my uncle had done a phenomenal job with the company up to that point and had worked hard. They still work hard. They’re 50 plus hours a week, and they’re in their mid-60s at this point. So they had laid a wonderful foundation for the company and I wanted to contribute to that. I wanted to continue to build on that legacy alongside them really. So I told my dad that that was the goal, growth was the goal, and he saw that in me. He saw a passion for that, and so he supported that.

Mike:

That’s awesome. And so you guys, when you got back, how many stores were you at the time?

Logan:

We had seven locations at that time, along with one retread plant and our distribution center in Albertville.

Mike:

So basically you guys have almost doubled since your return.

Logan:

Yeah, yep. It’s been pretty awesome. It’s not just me.

Mike:

No, I get it. I get it.

Logan:

Well, I try to be the button pusher, that’s what I like to call myself. My father is very conservative in many ways, and so is my uncle, but I like to push buttons and press the envelope. So I’ll take credit for that perhaps, but there’s a lot of key people in our company that make what we do successful, including my father and uncle.

Mike:

That’s a great lead-in to another question I’ve got. So what is the Wilks brand? What do you want people to, if you had a chance to tell your customers or your employees what you want them to feel from it, what is the Wilks, I guess, way of business?

Logan:

I think if you asked anybody that works for us, and then many of our long-time customers, what that is, it’s we value taking care of people. We’re in the people business. And whether it was my grandfather that started this or my father and uncle, I’m sure it was both, there’s always been this sense of providing of service, working with integrity, giving back to the community, and all that revolves around just doing good. So I guess at the basis of that, we take care of our people, we take care of our employees, and in return, we expect them to take care of our customers. So we have to lead by example in that aspect, and we have to give them a good place to work, a place that they feel great working for, a company they feel proud of. So it starts there, but then we also have to actually do what we say we’re going to do, and that trickles down to that customer service experience.

Mike:

That’s awesome.

Logan:

So it starts at the top and works its way down like that.

Mike:

And what was your latest acquisition, I think you’ve been involved with in the last few months?

Logan:

Yeah, Dalton, Georgia. As of July 1st, we acquired a 87-year-old company in Dalton, Georgia, and that grew our footprint, first location in Georgia that we have, and it’s also got a retread plant. So, pretty exciting stuff there.

Mike:

Very exciting. I’m just trying to give people a visual of the map, you guys are in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, correct?

Logan:

Right.

Mike:

It’s just outside Nashville. And then most of your stores in Northern Alabama, right?

Logan:

Yep. Two in South Alabama and then the one now in Northwest Georgia with Dalton.

Mike:

Yeah. That’s awesome. Tell us a little bit more about the goals of the company. Where do you guys, I mean, do you have that long-term like how many you want to grow to, or do you really just looking for value at any given time and maybe growing from acquisition and do you want to do any greenfields?

Logan:

Yeah, so we actually have done a few greenfields along the way. In fact, our most recent one was last year with a new retail location in Guntersville, Alabama. A beautiful, beautiful building. So those are still on the table, but what we’ve found is there’s more value in acquiring another business because you get a book of business already, you get people. People are our most valuable asset. So as far as goals go, two to three a year, I think, is comfortable for us right now. Obviously that number could increase as we continue to grow our foundation and our capabilities, but right now we’re looking at two to three a year.

Mike:

That’s awesome. Well, and I agree with you. I think the acquisition side probably can eliminate other than price, right? I mean the initial investment, but you’re kind of assured a market right out of the gate. Like you said, you have customers, you already have trained employees, whereas greenfield is, I don’t want to make it sound like it’s overly risky, but it’s just you got to fill those gaps. I mean, you got to not only pick a good spot, but you got to fill it up with customers and then fill it up with good employees right out of the gate and hope it all works, right?

Logan:

Yeah. It’s a risk, I guess, as with anything in life, but it takes a lot of resources. With the ones that we’ve done, we’ve realized that there’s a lot more variables involved than what we’d like. We specialize in the tire business, not in the building business per se. At some point, maybe if we can put together a team, there’ll be more of a growth mindset about that, but for now, I think the acquisitions are our forte.

Mike:

It is interesting. I’ve interviewed different PE groups and one that I interviewed recently was Chris Garman and Tommy Gaynor. They’re the acquisition team for Sun Auto Tire & Service, the group that’s done a lot of acquisitions in the last five years. And they said, they made it clear in the podcast, “Look, when we purchase someone, we want the employees. We’re begging for them to stay. We want to make sure that they’re happy because they’re the number one resource that we have. And a lot of times we can either match or go higher than where they’ve been in regards to compensation. So our objective is to not lose anybody if they’re part of the team.” It’s kind of refreshing to at least have that sense that’s out there. And at least in this industry, I think a lot of owners, operators recognize that, man, it is a unique industry, but when you have trained people in it, you don’t want to have to, I mean, there’s a lot of value that you just don’t want to have to replace.

Logan:

Yep, absolutely.

Mike:

Well, on a personal level, I like to let the audience get to know when we have a guest, what’s something that you live by? Like a motto, a mission statement or something, maybe a mentor passed on to you? Do you got one of those?

Logan:

I do. There’s so many. I’m a quote junkie, I guess you would say, or I love reading, and especially from some of the leaders of our past. But this one in particular, I may have shared it with you that day that we were having lunch, and it’s one that I really try to instill and live by. Ronald Reagan during his first inaugural address referenced a young man that went to war in World War I, Martin Treptow, and he was killed basically on the battlefield when he was attempting to carry a message between two battalions under artillery fire. But what’s really cool about this young man is that he had a diary that was found on his body and on the flyleaf under the heading My Pledge, he had written these words: “America must win this war, therefore I will work, I will save. I will sacrifice. I will endure. I will fight cheerfully and do my utmost, as if the issue of the whole struggle depended on me alone.”

Mike:

Man, that’s moving.

Logan:

Powerful words.

Mike:

Oh, yeah, you did read that. Man, that’s as powerful as it gets because there’s a young man that had an enormous amount of maturity at this time in his life. And then to embrace it as if everything depended on him and his activity alone and his participation. I think if we could all think like that, how much better the world would be, and I’m not talking about just for the military. I’m talking about just life, our families. That’s a rich statement. If you don’t mind, would you read that one more time?

Logan:

Absolutely. On his body was found the diary, and on the flyleaf under the heading My Pledge, he had written these words: “America must win this war, therefore I will work, I will save. I will sacrifice. I will endure. I will fight cheerfully and do my utmost, as if the issue of the whole struggle depended on me alone.”

Mike:

Man, I’m glad you read that today. You did read that the day we met, but I forgot about it. That’s huge. Well, on a lighter note, I always ask people something personal. I’m going to ask you about travel. What’s a place you like to travel or what’s one of your favorite places to visit?

Logan:

Again, with my two years living in Europe, I got to do a lot of travel. Traveling in Europe is very easy. It’s like traveling state to state here in the US. So out of the 14 or 15 countries I’ve been to in Europe, I’m going to give you two. If you’re looking for a very unique place with a lot of rich history, kind of off the beaten path, Tallinn, Estonia is a wonderful, wonderful little town. They have this old town in the city, and I just had the fortune of going there in winter just after it had snowed, and it looked like something out of a fairytale. But the people there are so warm and so friendly. They had some of the best food I’ve ever had. Cheese, bread, wine. It was phenomenal.

Mike:

You said this is in Holland?

Logan:

No, it’s Tallinn, Estonia.

Mike:

Okay. Tallinn, Estonia.

Logan:

And then one of the ones I think that everybody loves and enjoys traveling to is Italy. You just can’t beat Italy. The next place on my bucket list over there is Sardinia, that island, beautiful, beautiful blue water. They have one of those blue zones there where the healthy people live. And so looking forward to getting over there.

Mike:

Yeah, I hear you. No, that’s awesome. The way you talk, you like natural beauty.

Logan:

I do. Yep. I love the outdoors. I love sunsets. Just the earth, nature.

Mike:

No, that’s awesome. Well, I got to tell you, it’s been a real honor to have you on the podcast, and I really appreciate you coming and telling your all’s story.

Logan:

Well, thank you for having me. I’ve enjoyed it.

Mike:

Well, we’ll have you back sometime in the future.

Logan:

Sounds like a plan.

Mike:

All right. To all our listeners out there, thank you for being part of the podcast. We are grateful for you. If you would like to recommend a guest to me, please email me at [email protected]. Until next time, be safe, be grateful, and have a great day.

Announcer:

Thanks for listening to the Gain Traction podcast. We’ll see you again next time, and be sure to click subscribe to get future episodes.

Contents hide

1 In this episode…

1.1 Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

1.2 Resources mentioned in this episode:

1.2.1 Quotable Moments:

1.2.2 Action Steps: