16 • November 8, 2021, TIRE BUSINESS Visit us on the web at www.tirebusiness.

com Visi

Tire Business Humanitarian of the Year

S
Katz’ hard work drives business success CON
incl
ler
By Don Detore Mr. Katz to success, both in busi- Vol
ddetore@crain.com ness and as a humanitarian. The W
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. 59-year-old entrepreneur has been wit
Automobiles have been a part of named the 2021 winner of the Tire bus
Ron Katz’s life almost as long as he Business Tire Dealer Humanitarian pro
has been in the workforce. Consider- Medal, given to an independent tire S
ing he was a one-time car salesman dealer or retreader in North Amer- loc
and later had two stints overseeing ica who, during the past year, has resi
one of West Palm Beach’s largest made significant contributions to the was
auto dealerships, vehicles have been betterment of his or her communi- Mr.
a integral part of his career. ty through charitable and/or public “
Automotive service and tires, service work. “an
however, are a completely different It was six years ago when Mr. T
matter. Kaye began a conversation with Mr. new
So when Mr. Katz and his partner Katz about partnering together. Mr. rem
Jerry Kaye decided to purchase a Kaye, the boyfriend of Mr. Katz’s ship
Photo provided by Midas of West Palm Beach

Midas franchise in 2015 and operate mother, said he had some money in T
a business that fixes cars rather than the bank and wanted to invest it. His din
sells them, he suddenly was thrust mom had been in the hospital at the bot
into a vocation he knew very little time, unaware of the conversation. sha
about. “He told me, ‘Maybe we can do he
He admits he is continuing to something together,’” Mr. Katz re- did
learn. membered. hea
“I know cars. I’m not a mechanic. Mr. Kaye called three weeks lat- “
I like to say I play one on TV, but er to ask Mr. Katz if he had thought kep
I’m not a mechanic,” he said with a more about his proposal. said
smile. They went to lunch and began mix
Ron Katz (left) and his partner, Jerry Kaye, stand in front of the Midas of West Palm Beach shop. The partners bought When he first took over the Mi- talking it through. They discussed “
their first two dealerships in 2015, and today operate Midas shops in West Palm, Cocoa Beach and Cutler Bay, Fla. das shop, he was determined to several business ventures, including rem
learn how to operate a tire-changing opening a Chinese restaurant or op- beh
machine. He figured it out, but not erating a T-shirt business. T
without some elbow grease. Mr. Katz had spent close to a 15 wit
“I had more grease on me than years around cars while working in
anywhere else,” he said, “but it’s all as an executive at Schumacher Au- out
good.” tomotive Group, a South Florida sev
It is that kind of attitude and de- dealership selling 13 vehicle brands, S
termination that has helped drive SEE SUCCESS, PAGE 17 sho
this
Humanitarian ing
winners I
Winners of the sho
in
Tire Business Tire Dealer through the hou
years and
Humanitarian Medal sou
hav
1994: L.P. Anderson 2008: Burnham Neal T
L.P. Anderson Supply Co. Ben Tire Distributors the
Miles City, Mont. Toledo, Ill.
clos
1995: Philip “Flip” Smith 2009: Scott Beasley rem
Flip’s Tire Center & Performance Concepts Duncan Tire Co.
Van Nuys, Calif. Dublin, Ga. term
W
1996: Dennis Cunnington 2010: Jerry Rosenthal
Big O Tires Inc. franchise store Tire Hut Inc. pro
Lodi, Calif. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. loc
1997: T.O. Haas 2011: Scott Williams eve
T.O. Haas Tire Co. Lex Brodie’s Tire, Brake & Service Co. and
Lincoln, Neb. Honolulu he
1998: Mike Alles 2012: Dan Nothdurft era
Alles Tire Co. Tires, Tires, Tires “
Grand Haven, Mich. Sioux Falls, S.D. be,
1999: Jerry Saunders 2013: Arthur Bradley said
Fairmount Tire & Rubber Inc. Ace Parker Tire Inc. es
Los Angeles Sumter, S.C.
nee
2000: Ross Kogel 2014: Bud Luppino in s
Tire Wholesalers Co. Inc. Bud’s Tire Pros
Troy, Mich. Riverside, Calif. the
“
2001: Eric Gilbert 2015: Ricky and Dianne Benton
Ericway Tire Inc. Black’s Tire & Auto Service up
Beamsville, Ontario Whiteville, N.C. S
2002: Olin Mott 2016: Anthony and Beth Blackman mo
Olin Mott Tire Co. Atlantic Tire & Service coa
Tampa, Fla. Cary, N.C. ned
2003: Max Twiss 2017: Kent Olson said
Magic Valley Les Schwab Tires Olson Tire Pros & Auto Service Inc. cial
Paul, Idaho Wausau, Wis. of l
2004: Joe Mears 2018: Mark Smith F
United Tire Management Midas of Richmond ma
Indianapolis Richmond, Va.
er,
2005: Steve Craven 2019: Bob Kellogg aut
Craven Tire & Auto Warren Tire Service Center Inc.
Fairfax, Va. Queensbury, N.Y. Am
T
2006: Jon Shay 2020: Rodrigo Valle Hernandez
Main Tire Exchange Inc. Grupo Tersa, Tijuana, go,
Dansville, N.Y. Baja California, Mexico gre
2007: David Milam Jr. 2021: Ron Katz O
Milam Discount Tire Co. Midas tak
Liberty, Texas West Palm Beach, Fla. inc

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