Les Schwab Tire Centers is a tire retail chain operating in the western United States. Founded in 1952, The company is named for founder Les Schwab and is headquartered in the Central Oregon city of Bend. The private company employs over 7,000 people in eight western states. The company is known for its customer-oriented employees and product guarantees.

The base of our corporate operations remains in Central Oregon, where we operate one of the largest tire retreading plants in the country, and own a distribution center in Prineville that is more than 2,000,000 square feet.

Our success has been made possible by our wonderful customers, and by valuing the unique contributions and hard work of our employees. We are proud to feature Neat Clean Stores, Supermarket Selection, Sudden Service, Convenient Credit and Warranties in Writing.

Pride in Performance is the value that drives us at Les Schwab. We take pride in our customer service and pride in our employees. As a company we try to incorporate this belief into everything we do. Our company goals are to continue to provide the legendary Les Schwab level of customer service, to be original and innovative, and to stay independent.

History

Les Schwab founded the company with a single store in Prineville, Oregon, when he bought OK Rubber Welders in 1952. The headquarters were later moved to nearby Prineville. In 1964, an annual February "Free-Beef" promotion started to boost sales during slow late-winter months.

On December 12, 2006, Dick Borgman became CEO of the company. That year the company ranked as the 318th largest private company according to Forbes. As of 2007, the chain operates more than 410 stores in Alaska, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada,Oregon, Utah, and Washington. The company does more than $1.6 billion in sales each year, and is the second largest independent tire retailer in the United States. Founder Les Schwab died in May 2007, with ownership remaining within the family. In 2006, the company announced that its headquarters will move to nearby Bend, with the move completed in December 2008. Les Schwab's distribution center remained in Prineville. The company was named the 23rd best company to work for in Oregon for large employers in 2008.

Operations

In addition to tires, the company sells a variety of other auto parts and auto related services, including brakes and shocks. In 2008,Forbes magazine ranked Les Schwab as the 324th largest privately held company in the country. Modern Tire Dealer has called the Les Schwab "arguably the most respected independent tire store chain in the United States." The company closes all of its stores on Sundays, and employees are known for running to customer vehicles when they pull in to park.

IMPROVED BRAKING! Research has shown that the most effective braking power occurs immediately prior to losing traction. SIPING extends the window allowed for maximum brakingpower by giving the existing tread a helping hand. In the examples on the right, notice how the SIPED tire has dozens more gripping edges.

BETTER TRACTION! The tread surface on your tire is made up of many smaller surfaces known as "Tread Blocks." The reason for so many surfaces is especially important when itcomes to icy or wet road conditions. The tread Blocks get their gripping power not from their many smooth surfaces, but from the even more numerous sharp surrounding edges. SIPING provides more of these gripping edges.

SMOOTHER RIDE! New asphalt is relatively smooth but, time and wear exaggerates the coarse texture of the road's surface causing your tires to absorb most of the impact. SIPING gives your tires a Micro-Flexibility reducing the wear on your tire's carcass and sidewalls. This effect not only increases tire life, but will result in a smoother ride. HOW IS SIPING DONE? SIPING is done by placing your tires (new or used) on a specially designed machine that rotates your tires while making small, virtually invisible 90 degree cuts in your tread. Only under very close inspection can the SIPES even be seen, and you're more likely to tell by your improved driving experience than by visual inspection.

WILL SIPING ADVERSELY AFFECT MY TIRE'S PERFORMANCE? SIPING will not adversely affect your tires performance in any way. The tread on your tires retains all of its strength due to the patented spiral cutting process. This process leaves uncut areas known as Tie bars keeping your tread strong.

Heat Generation is a common cause of rapid tire wear and even tire failure. While this heat may be a natural result of friction, the effect it has on your tire can be undesirable. SIPING reduces the heat and its effect on your tire by allowing it to cool. As depicted in the illustrations above, the SIPED tire runs cooler due to the heat dispersing effect of the SIPES themselves. Much like your car's radiator, heat is isolated into smaller groups and air passing between these areas cause a natural cooling effect.

COLOR/HEAT INDEX

"If We Can't Guarantee It, We Won't Sell It!"® It´s a phrase the Les Schwab Company has lived by for many years. With a supermarket selection of Passenger, Performance, Light Truck and SUV tires, we're sure to satisfy all your driving needs. If you are looking for new tires for your ATV, your Motorhome, your Golf Cart, or even your Boat Trailer, We've got ´em. We also stock a wide variety of Farm, Truck, and OTR Tires. Along with the commitment to serve, we offer 24-Hour On-The-Farm Service Thank you for considering Les Schwab Tire Centers for your next set of Custom Wheels. We strive to bring you the best Selection, Quality and Service everytime you visit Les Schwab Tire Centers. Here at LesSchwab.com we want to share with you the latest in Wheel Designs and styles as well as great tricks and tips on how to keep your wheels in the best possible condition. Check out our Online Wheel Brochure today to see the latest styles of wheels available. Offering the latest in Battery Testing Technology, we have one of the largest battery selections anywhere. For your passenger car or light truck, it means several different types such as 50 Month, 60 Month, XHD, Xtreme Power, and much more. It's a supermarket selection of batteries we are proud of. Here are just a few applications we carry batteries for: · Cars  · Buses · Farm Equipment  · Lawn / Garden  · Aircraft / Military · Light Trucks  · Motor Homes · Industrial · RV / Boat · Golf Carts · Heavy Trucks · Motorcycles · Heavy Equipment  · ATV · Floor Sweepers

Our Business Is Earning Your Trust. Come by today.