Lamb’s Tire Affirms ATD Partnership Essential to Success

Distributor and Independent Dealer Prove Relationships Still Matter

American Tire Distributors (ATD) is one of the largest tire distributors in the world recognized for its unwavering commitment to helping its customers and partners thrive over the past 85 years. One such example of this can be found in south Austin, Texas at Lamb’s Tire & Automotive. Passion, professionalism, and deep connection to local communities are requisite of small businesses and is a core tenant of Lamb's DNA. But in talking to Jim Ramsey, CEO at Lamb’s, there is something else that is helping to drive his success: a partnership with ATD.

Lamb’s has grown from one store to nearly 20 stores across the Austin area since its founding in 1987.

“ATD helps us stay ahead of the competition,” says Ramsey. "They're coming into our company and analyzing the market for us so we know which product screen will meet and exceed consumer demand based on the cars in our market. We're always looking for different opportunities to enhance our operations, and ATD helps us with that as well. They’ve helped us every step of the way."

The endorsement of a distributor by an independent dealer proves that focusing on relationships and innovating for mutual success is what will lead in a changing industry.

Over the past few years, the replacement tire market has experienced tremendous change compared to the past few decades. From large retail establishments acquiring small independents dealers to manufacturers expanding their retail presence to key players entering the wholesale distribution space.

One key factor ATD has not lost sight of through its strategic transformation is a focus on serving its customers in new and differentiated ways, as well as offering the broadest assortment of tires, dedicated sales specialists, and industry-leading technology platforms. All of which are enabled by data analytics, insights, and the depth and knowledge that ATD’s years of expertise provides.

“At ATD, one of the most important things we do as a business is in our approach to building trusted relationships with our customers and partners,” said Stuart Schuette, president and CEO at ATD. “Hearing their needs and concerns to create a future, together, to grow their business. We also believe that the companies that will thrive in our industry are those that focus on addressing the industry of the future while excelling at serving the industry of the present.”

Despite the uncertainty brought on during times of change, Lamb’s partnership with ATD never wavered due to the strength of the relationship ATD and Ramsey have built over the years – where he trusts that ATD is committed to helping his business be more successful.

“The tools and processes we have built, particularly those we have rolled out in the past 12 months are game changers for dealers like Jim,” said Owen Schiano, President, US Field Operations and Customer Service at ATD. “In order for dealers to harness the power of those tools it requires trust, and Jim was one of the first to partner in that journey with ATD. In a short time, Lamb’s is reaping the benefits of the tools and resources we offer our customers."

“At ATD, our work is behind the scenes,” said Schiano. “Our purpose is to help our customers thrive and drive into the future by providing them the tools, analytics and insights they need to be successful; that’s what’s driving us to become the most innovative and connected automotive solutions provider in the industry. When we do that, we help customers take ordinary customer experiences and turn them into exceptional ones. Those are the moments we live for."

Ramsey is clearly proud of the business he and his team have built and he is excited about the prospects for the future. Lamb’s takes great pride in taking care of their customers – whether it’s a new customer with an urgent need or a loyal customer. Their consumers trust that Lamb’s will take care of them. And, Lamb’s trusts that ATD will be there with the product and tools they need to stay ahead of the curve.

“Our job is to come to the table ready to deliver a dealer like Lamb’s as many competitive advantages as possible,” said Schiano. “That all starts with our unparalleled scope of product, the scale of our inventory, the speed with which we can re-stock Lamb’s stores or fill special orders, and our deep understanding of Jim’s business that we have built in our years working together.”

He continued, “but now it goes far beyond that. We bring Jim a suite of tools that help him see and understand his business better, all the way down to the numbers at each store. We provide him and his associates information to make them knowledgeable advisors to Lamb’s consumers despite the constant changes and SKU proliferation happening in our industry. We are able to engage with Lamb's more meaningfully with a focus on making Lamb’s more successful."

Ramsey agrees, “It’s been a really great partnership."