Les Schwab Tire Centers

Les Schwab (1917–2007) founded the company in 1952 with a single store in Prineville, Oregon, when he bought OK Rubber Welders. to boost sales during slow late-winter months. Corporate headquarters were moved from Prineville to Bend in 2008. The EEOC suit claimed the company denied women top management positions in the company and noted that at the time of the filing there was but a single female assistant store manager. That year the company ranked as the 318th largest private company according to Forbes. The chain operated more than 410 stores in 2007, The company does more than $1.6 billion in sales each year, then chairman Phil Wick died in 2010. In September 2020, CEO Jack Cuniff announced that the company would be sold to a San Francisco investment fund. The sale, to Meritage Group LP, was finalized in November 2020. In 2024, Les Schwab expanded eastward with new locations in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota; as of 2025, it has more than 540 stores. ==Operations==

In addition to tires, the company sells a variety of other auto parts and auto-related services, including brakes and shocks. In 2008, Forbes magazine ranked Les Schwab as the 324th largest privately held company in the country. The company closes all of its stores on Sundays, and employees were formerly known for running to customer vehicles when they pull in to park, though many locations still have employees walk up to greet customers as they exit their vehicles. Les Schwab has also offered free beef promotions with tire purchases, and free BombPop popsicles in the lobby in the summer. Today, most Les Schwab locations still offer free coffee and popcorn for customers. ==See also==