Atlanta Slam Dunk Legend Goes From Driving to the Basket to Driving to the Shop
Local customers were surprised and delighted when Spud Webb picked up their car for service
An Atlanta basketball legend provided an assist in an unexpected way when customers of a local tire and service provider opened their doors to find former Atlanta Hawks player and 1986 slam dunk contest winner Spud Webb. Family-owned Tire Discounters brought Webb to Atlanta to serve as a celebrity driver for the company’s Skip the Shop program that picks up a customer’s car, services it and returns the vehicle to their home or work.
Webb spent the morning surprising Chamblee-area Tire Discounters customers as a way of introducing the company’s unique brand and showing off its fun, lighthearted spirit. The company recently opened new stores in the Atlanta metro area and handed out over 250 free apple pies to passersby in March as a way of saying hello to the community. Tire Discounters also intends to bring over 200 jobs to the area in 2022.
“We’re a fun-loving company that values humor, hard work and positivity,” said Jamie Ward, president and CEO of Tire Discounters. “We also like to do things a little differently, so we decided to bring back a legend, someone who has made a lasting impression on Atlanta: Spud Webb.”
Brandon Grubbs, Sr. Director of Business Development at Tire Discounters, rode with Webb and saw firsthand the amusement and disbelief of surprised customers. “The reactions were priceless. Some customers were speechless, one woman wanted Spud to dunk in her driveway,” Grubbs shared. “It was an incredible experience seeing the sheer delight on their faces. We couldn’t stop smiling all morning.”
Anna Wood, Tire Discounter’s managing director, and daughter of founder Chip Wood, said that having Spud serve as a celebrity driver reflects the company’s pride in surprising and delighting its customers. Wood said they chose Spud because he is beloved in Atlanta. “Spud Webb is also the champion of the underdog and an inspirational example of how you can do anything if you put your mind to it.”
According to Wood, the event is helping to reinforce Tire Discounters’ entry into the Atlanta metro area and making customers aware of the one-of-a-kind Skip the Shop service, an example of what Wood describes as Tire Discounters’ commitment to service so good, it’s stupid-good. “Tire Discounters is known for going the extra mile and exceeding customers’ expectations. For example, when you purchase four tires from us, we give you a free alignment, something others charge hundreds of dollars extra for,” she said.
“We’re excited to show Atlanta what sets us apart—and that’s our family-owned and operated values,” Wood said. “We treat our customers like family. It’s that simple. We look forward to extending this same courtesy to the community of Chamblee and the Atlanta metro area.”
Tire Discounters is the country’s largest 100% family-owned and operated tire and service provider. The company recently signed a deal on a 72,000 square foot warehouse, distribution and training facility conveniently located near the airport, which will be operational in the Fall. This is on the heels of the opening of the Chamblee store (located at 5585 Peachtree Blvd).
In all, Tire Discounters anticipates opening 25 stores across the state of Georgia with a specific focus on the Atlanta area, by the end of 2022. Tire Discounters has opened and integrated with several businesses throughout Georgia and the Atlanta metro area over the last two years, including Bulldog Tire (Covington, Monroe and Snellville), Porterfield Tire (Watkinsville and Athens) and North Georgia Tire. An auto glass company, Lightning Auto Glass, located in Chamblee, was also added late last year. These stores joined other locations in Perimeter Pointe, Ft. Oglethorpe, Lawrenceville, and Dalton.
Tire Discounters currently has 120 employees across 12 stores in the state of Georgia. The company has the goal of adding 300 additional jobs in 2022. Of this number, approximately 200 employees are anticipated to be in the Atlanta metro area.
“We absolutely love Atlanta,” said Ward. “We look forward to surprising and delighting our Atlanta customers in all sorts of ways in the coming years. After our apple pie giveaway and this celebrity driver promotion, we can’t wait to share what’s next.”
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