Wheels Etc is the end product
of my life time in the tire industry. I began selling tires in
1968 for Duddy’s in Phoenix, AZ. I left Arizona with my new bride
in 1970 and worked for Allen Tire in Richmond, CA for about a year during
which my 1st son was born. Shortly after his birth I got fired
and scrambled to find work at Empire Tire in Glendale, CA. That
job actually resulted in me making money. When I got to Empire
their annual sales were $4.3 million. When I left in 1976 my own
quota was $4.3 million which shows the growth they enjoyed. I left
Empco Industries to buy and sell original equipment take-off wheels in
the name of R/V Specialties. I changed the name to Wheels Etc in
1979 and had expanded my business with government surplus tires. I
rented several small properties until 1984 when I purchased land and
a small retail store on Route 66 in Fontana, CA and spent 23 years there
with 2.2 acres of my own property and at least another acre of my neighbours
property full of tires from 4.00x8 to 29.5x29 earthmover tires and used
steel wheels from 8” diameter to 24” diameter including passenger,
pickup, medium and heavy duty truck wheels along with very rare forklift
and material handling sizes. I accumulated nearly 300,000 original
wheel covers and hubcaps over that time and advertised used tires, wheels
and hubcaps for most of the time I was in Fontana. In 1989 the
State of California got themselves in the tire business by passing legislation
and adopting regulations regarding storage and hauling of “waste” tires
that got confused with “reusable, retreadable, regroovable and
repairable” tires.
In 1995 I registered the
name “Waste Tire Management” and find that I spend nearly
half of my time processing “waste” tires I pick up from all
sorts of generators. Processing includes sorting those tires into
usable or actual waste tires then by size and condition. Very few
waste tire processors have the experience and contacts I have developed
over the past three decades. I actually reuse in the form received
about 25% of the tires I take in. Not all of those are used as
tires but without processing I am able to put many tires to use as other
products. After processing, less than 20% of the original
volume of the tires is buried at a monofil. Various tires can be
ground up for uses such as rubberize asphalt or a variety of industrial
products like floor mats, sidewalks and the base of highway emergency
cones. Each process uses different sizes and types of tires. For
example Radial Truck tires make the best crumb rubber for use in
rubberized concrete asphalt, earthmover tires have the highest
content of natural rubber for more technical applications. Passenger
tires provide easier handling for burning to generate heat in the industrial
processes like cement plants. Tires that are severely damaged are
not suitable for any of these processes and need to be further destroyed
and buried for final disposition.
At the end of the line I accumulate used tires that retain value as tires
and resell them to a number of tire dealers. Truck tire service
dealers, retreaders, small tire shops and fleets all buy wholesale by
appointment only. In addition, my relationship with 31 Products,
Inc allows me to sell most tire shop supplies and repair materials at
jobber prices. I have a small inventory on hand and will sell larger
patches by the each when needed by service trucks and small tire shops. Look
for a link to their product catalog on this website and call for prices I
hope to have a secure login system soon that will allow me to show prices
online.
Email: hubcap-kid@wheels-etc.com