New tire store eyes South Jaye Street site

Representatives of Les Schwab Tire stores were doing a little more than kicking the tires when they met with the City of Porterville’s Project Review Committee this week. The representatives were making their tentative inquiry as to what it will take to build a store in the Jaye Street Crossing Center at Jaye and Highway 190.

Representatives Terra Mortensen with Precision Civil Engineering and Craig Stockridge showed the city preliminary plans for the 12,000 square foot tire center they plan to build in front of Home Depot.

“We’re happpy to be here. This is a great town and great fit for us,” said Stockridge as he began to lay out the company’s plans.

Les Schwab opened his first tire shop in Oregon in 1952 and today has more than 400 stores in several western states. Stockridge said the chain is opening five new locations in Fresno in the next month. Most of their California stores in the northern portion of the state.
Stockridge said the store will be owned and run by the company — “they are not franchises,” he said. He also said it is their goal for their workers to be active in the community.

He also explained the store has a policy where the employees go out and meet the customer at their car. “You don’t have to come into the shop,” he said.

No timetable was given for the construction, but there are a few issues that will have to be worked out, said City Director of Community Development Brad Dunlap.

The store is planned to be built between the new car wash on Jaye Street and where the Arco AM-PM will be built. That project is presently going through the permitting process, said Dunlap.