A highway nearly killed the family business, and a wrecked truck helped bring the next generation into it. In this episode of the Johnny g & Friends Podcast, Johnny sits down with Jimmy and Joe Matlock of Matlock Tire in Tennessee. It's a conversation about the kind of customer service that turns a tire business into a community institution.
The story starts in the 1960s. Then, Interstate 40 pulled most traffic away from Jimmy’s father’s full-service gas station. Instead of closing the doors, the family adapted. They moved deeper into tires, retreading, and service. They also built the business around relationships rather than transactions. That same mindset guided Jimmy years later. He unexpectedly returned home from college after his father’s sudden passing. He found himself leading a business he never planned to run.
Joe’s path into the business was just as unexpected. A teenage truck wreck led to a next-day work assignment. He eventually moved from pre-law and corporate life toward the family business. There, he found a better fit in people, service, and relationships.
Throughout the conversation, Jimmy and Joe discuss the balance between old-school retail service and modern business tools, including technology, reporting, AI and the value of still walking out to a customer’s vehicle, looking them in the eye and earning trust the traditional way. Jimmy also reflects on his years in public service and the connection between serving customers and serving constituents.
Today, Matlock Tire has grown to five Tennessee locations, more than 100 employees and a rare culture of long-term loyalty, including multiple employees with 20, 30 and even 40-plus years of service. For Jimmy and Joe, the secret is simple: treat employees like family, treat customers like relationships and keep showing up for both. It is a legacy built one handshake, one repair and one team member at a time.
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2026/07/1435 分