6B
Business Beat
Daily News • Saturday, September 14, 2013
Chamber Check-up By Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce
Why attend Business After Hours? • Meet potential new customers • Strengthen ties with existing customers and clients • Have fun & win prizes Take advantage of great networking in a fun and relaxed environment at our September Business After Hours hosted by: DW Video & Multimedia 210 S. Lafayette St. (Chamber office), Greenville 5 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19
Free business counseling Starting a new business? Want to improve on your already existing business? The Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce will help coordinate a meeting with a SCORE counselor. SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business” is a nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and the formation, growth and success of small business nationwide. The counselors can guide you to formulate a business plan, discuss pertinent start-up issues and offer invaluable entrepreneurial advice. Next dates for appointments: • Thursday, Oct. 3 • Tuesday, Oct. 22 • Friday, Nov. 8 Call the Chamber at (616) 754-5697 to schedule your free 1-hour appointment with a local SCORE counselor.
Welcome new Chamber investors: Applebee’s 615 S. Greenville West Drive, Greenville (616) 754-7669 Amanda Green, manager Car Center 12700 Old 14 Mile Road, Greenville (616) 754-0307 Bill and Nick Edwards, owners
Business Beat is a service provided by Ryan Schlehuber, special sections editor, and The Daily News Advertising Department. It is designed to provide stories and photographs about our advertisers. To suggest a story or a photograph for this page contact your advertising representative at (616) 754-9301 or (800) 968-9301.
‘STATE OF THE ART’ New Belle Tire brings in 20 jobs to Greenville area
By Ryan Schlehuber
Daily News features editor
GREENVILLE — When Grant Hole walked through the new Belle Tire facility, one of Greenville’s biggest businesses to move in along M-57 since perhaps Walmart, his son, Kevin, could see he was mighty impressed. “Dad thought he had the ‘latest and greatest’ back in his day,” said Kevin Hole, who is the assistant manager at Belle Tire, which opened Aug. 31. Kevin remembers working at his father’s tire business, Superior Tire, which started in Greenville in 1971 and closed after Grant retired in 1996. Reflecting on those days, both father and son admit things have definitely changed a lot since then. “The technology has changed so much since my dad’s days,” Hole said. “But customer service, being customer friendly, has really changed, too That’s why we have set up these individual laptop pods with WiFi and did away with the standard service desk so we can be as pleasant to our customers as possible.” The Greenville facility is Belle Tire’s 86th retail store location and, according to Greenville Belle Tire Manager Ryan Kovich, who has been with the company for six years, it’s easily the best one in Michigan. “This building’s design is one of a kind and we have more state of the art equipment here,” said Kovich, who is from Lowell. “And the spot we’re at, a high-traffic area and being right next to Meijer, we couldn’t ask for a better spot.” Equipped with 10 bays and the latest technology in tires (with 3,000 tires in stock), custom wheels and auto service, Belle Tire boasts great service with a 45-min-
Daily News/Ryan Schlehuber
The newest business to open along M-57 in Greenville — Belle Tire — brings with it 20 jobs that will eventually be filled by local workers. The business opened Aug. 31 and includes advanced auto service technology and, seen in the insert photo, 10 bays for auto repair.
ute turn-around time for a typical alignment and work on four tires. “It’s a Michigan-based, family-oriented business that gives competitive service with the most sophisticated equipment,” Hole said. “We had a great opening day and the community and customers have been amazing already.” The business is currently staffed with many employees from Belle Tire’s Grand Rapids locations for the time being, until Kovich and Hole hire on more local workers. Twenty positions are expected to be filled by local workers. “It’s encouraging to be able to add jobs to the area, but it’s even more encouraging to bring in local guys here, where they can work,
learn and expand their skills, be it an auto tech or auto glass expert,” Kovich said. Belle Tire provides a variety of auto service needs, which include tires, custom wheels, alignments, brakes, batteries, oil changes, shocks and struts, windshield repair and replacement. “Belle Tire is thrilled to create new jobs and to provide another option for tire and automotive service to the Greenville community,” said Don Barnes III, vice president of retail operations. “We think the new store’s location lends it to convenient vehicle service and look forward to meeting the residents of Greenville and the surrounding communities.” Belle Tire, located at 1525 West Washington St., is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday and
Belle Tire Assistant Manager Kevin Hole, a Greenville native, who started his tire service career with his father, Grant, who owned Superior Tire, which operated in Greenville from 1971 to 1996.
Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Call (616) 225-
1700 for more information. scoop@stafforgroup.come (616) 548-8279
193972