Webb's Tire Company: where safety and satisfaction is key
If you’ve lived in Appomattox County for any amount of time, chances are you’ve passed by Webb’s Tire Company on Confederate Boulevard. The architecture of the building itself is unique and catches your eye, but the team inside is what makes this business so special!
Let’s go back to the 1950’s when Martin Webb was running an Esso gas station just a half mile or so up the road from the current Webb’s Tire Company location. Martin successfully operated the Esso station before venturing out of the gasoline business to focus solely on tire services for the community.
Martin had the current shop built on Confederate Boulevard in 1958. He, along with his team, serviced the tires of many Appomattox residents until his retirement in 1982. That’s when his son, Doug Webb, who grew up in the business and worked there through school, took over the company. Doug also served the community well until his retirement on December 31, 2020. His nephew Patrick Franklin and his wife Morgan took on ownership of Webb’s Tire Company upon Doug’s retirement and they continue to run the company today.
Who’s Who at Webb’s
Patrick works in the shop with their team of skilled technicians and Morgan tends to the front office, helping customers throughout the day.
Both Patrick and Morgan grew up in Appomattox County. In high school, Patrick was an avid golfer and he also worked at Falling River Country Club. Just a few years ago, he was working as a professional PGA golfer in Northern Virginia. Patrick loves golf and he enjoyed working in the golf industry, but he knew his job took up much of his time.
“The hours that the golfing profession requires of people is unreal. Most people don’t realize that.” Patrick explained.
After the birth of their son, Patrick knew he needed to make a career change to be able to devote more time to his family.
When Patrick learned of Doug’s upcoming retirement in 2020, he called his uncle to learn more about what his plans were for the business. After working out the details, Patrick and Morgan, along with their young son, moved to Appomattox and the couple pursued buying Webb’s Tire Company from the Webbs.
Patrick’s father, Randy Franklin, has worked alongside Doug at Webb’s Tire since 1993 and he welcomed the idea of his son taking over the business. Today, the father/son duo spend their days together in the shop.
“I don’t think you can beat coming to work every day with your father and your wife,” Patrick said. “The whole reason we moved back here was to be closer to family. The reason I wanted to make the career change was so that I could spend more time with my family.”
Safety and Satisfaction
Webb’s Tire Company has the motto of “Safety First.” That means, their team only offers tires that they would put on their own vehicles. They won’t cut corners on a job just to save a few bucks. They will do precisely what your car needs, at the best price they can offer. They won’t try to persuade you to buy more than you need and they won’t settle for mediocre unsafe work. They are a service-based business and their number one goal is making sure that everything is correct and safe on a vehicle before returning the keys to their customers.
Having worked in the professional golf industry for several years, Patrick understands the importance of good, honest customer service. Webb’s Tire Company was built on trust and honesty, and it continues to be run the same way today.
“We do the best we can,” Patrick said. “We’re in a pretty thankless industry, and some people may think that we (the auto industry in general) are out to get them, and I’d like to change that stigma.”
At Webb’s Tire, satisfaction and safety are of utmost importance.
“I’d like to thank our customers for continuing to trust us and I hope they know that we are going to do everything we can to make their experience a good one. We want to keep our prices down as much as we can, and our goal is to keep people safe. Safety is key,” Patrick explained.
“It’s my wife on the road. It’s my son. It’s me on the road, and I have the same level of respect with everyone else’s families on the road, too.”
One of the ways the team at Webb’s cares for their customers is through their free tire rotation program. Anyone who purchases any set of tires at Webb’s Tire Company has the ability to receive free tire rotations for the life of those times.
“That’s something that I hope people take advantage of because it makes their product last longer.” Additionally, Patrick explained that most tire warranties are void if the customer does not have a record of tire rotations every 5,000 miles, which is the recommended number of miles between rotations.
Webb’s Tire Company also offers state inspections as well as four-wheel alignments, oil changes, and windshield wiper replacements. They can offer small mechanical maintenance however, they prefer to send their customers to other local shops.
"We’ve got such great partners in town that we work with: Andy’s Auto Care, Kiva’s Auto, Appomattox Farm and Home, Jerry’s Auto, High End Auto, and Lee Grant Service Station. We work back and forth with people to benefit the customer, and that’s essentially what it boils down to. With thousands of people living in Appomattox County, there’s plenty of work to go around,” Patrick said.
Webb’s Tire Company works on 30 to 40 cars in their shop each day. They are able to work on up to 5 vehicles at a time. They offer a clean sitting area with a friendly atmosphere for those waiting on their service. In their waiting room, you’ll find brooms for sale from The Lion’s Club, as well as a donation box for prescription glasses. There are also a variety of local event and fundraiser posters in the window, because Webb’s believes that being a good member of the community means supporting community efforts.
Webb’s Tire Company also offers gift cards available in any amount. What a unique gift! Every person with a vehicle will eventually need tires, oil changes and a state inspection. A gift card to help cover these expenses would be welcomed by most anyone!
Visit Webb’s Tire Company at 1663 Confederate Boulevard in Appomattox for your tire, oil change or state inspection needs. Visit their website for current tire prices (and rebates!) and be sure to find and follow them on Facebook, too. You can also call them at 434-352-7180 or email them at webbstire@jetbroadband.com.
As Patrick says, “If you live in town and you’ve got a problem, we’re right here and we want to help.”
This article was written by Teresa Davis and is a paid advertisement. If you are interested in promoting your business on the Appomattox Happenings website, email, and social media, contact Teresa Davis through the contact form below or email appomattoxhappenings@gmail.com
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