Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Jensen Tire & Auto is a staple in the Nebraska communities it serves. Now at the helm of the business, Matt Jensen runs the business today by the same principles his father, W.R., and his mother, founded the business on in 1973: Get better everyday.
Matt grew up in the industry under the guidance of his father. He started out like any other employee in the business: changing tires, sweeping floors, wrenching and eventually working his way up. In the mid-90s, Matt bought out his father’s share of the business and focused on its growth in Omaha, Fremont and Lincoln, Nebraska. In 10 years’ time, he took Jensen Tire from 10 locations to 21.
Throughout the years, Jensen Tire has stayed true to its mission of maintaining long-lasting relationships with friends and neighbors who seek out their products and services. Today, Matt’s sons, Mike and Nick, have joined the business in leadership roles. Mike serves as vice president of operations, and Nick is vice president of retail operations. As Matt transitions more duties to his sons, he’s looking to grow Jensen Tire’s footprint and help the business reach the next level.
In this episode of Johnny g & Friends, presented by Firestone, hear from Matt, Mike and Nick about the business’s history, their roles in the business, how they’re innovating to serve today’s customers and more.
EPISODE OVERVIEW
- Matt describes how his parents founded Jensen Tire & Auto and how he worked his way up in the business (1:51)
- The trait Matt learned from his father that helped him grow the business to 21 locations (5:09)
- How Matt and his wife, Diane, grew the business together from 10 to 21 locations (6:34)
- Mike details how he worked his way up in the business, “earned his stripes” and became vice president of operations (10:20)
- Mike explains why Jensen Tire is investing in mobile tire service and what the benefits have been for the business (12:24)
- Why Mike lives by the motto of “staying ahead of the game” (15:01)
- Nick takes Johnny g through his start in the tire business and his role as president of retail operations, managing 220 employees (16:22)
- Nick describes how he’s working to grow a workforce for Jensen Tire (19:02)
- The most important lesson Nick has learned from his dad (23:32)
- Matt describes his role as president and CEO today compared to 10 years ago and the challenges he and other dealers face when looking to open new locations (24:51)
- What Jensen Tire’s 50th anniversary means to Matt (27:52)
