By Jeanette Lee-Randall | Member
In 2008, I was laid off from what I thought was my dream job. Lucky for me, Discount Tire was looking for a technical writer. I was recruited in March 2008, and I’ve been blessed to be a part of the Discount Tire family ever since. I have the distinction of being the lone technical writer employed by Discount Tire. I also have the pleasure of working with some very tech-savvy individuals who do an awesome job supporting the stores and keeping the wheels turning for Discount Tire.
So far, I have yet to meet anyone who has not seen the iconic Discount Tire stores that dot the landscape in their community. When the subject of where I work comes up, I am often asked if I work in the back room of one of the Discount Tire stores. My response is always, "No, I do not— and I do not know how to change your tires or wheels!"
Founded by Bruce Halle in 1960, Discount Tire is a privately owned company that has grown to over 875 retail stores in 28 states. Discount Tire (sometimes called America’s Tire) is the world’s largest independent tire and wheel retailer. Discount Tire’s vision for everyone within the organization is simple: Work to be the best in the business. Treat customers and one another with respect and fairness. Help those in need, always do what is right, work hard, be responsible, and have fun.
In 2010, Discount Tire celebrated its 50th anniversary; this milestone was reached during the midst of the U.S. economic crisis which affected countless Americans. During this celebration, Halle reminisced about many dynamics experienced during these 50 years, such as the risk of relocating the company headquarters from Ann Arbor, MI, to Scottsdale, AZ, and the challenges of managing change and controlling growth. He expressed his appreciation for the dedication shown by his employees and their contributions to the company’s success. But the single most impressive achievement I heard him speak about was that during the past 50 years, Discount Tire has never had a layoff! And that record still stands!
I work in a beautiful two-story building at Discount Tire’s Corporate Headquarters, located in North Scottsdale, AZ. The outside grounds are a meticulously kept, desert-landscaped campus. Inside, there are many amenities for the employees, from a full-sized kitchen to a very well-equipped gym—and much more. What I love about my work environment are the magnificent art deco lithographic posters which adorn the walls throughout the facility. In the lobby, there is an enormous Michelin poster by René Vincent, circa 1914—René was a painter and graphic designer. One must stand next to this colossal poster to appreciate the strength of this beautiful artwork and the message it conveys—a generous personality (Bibendum, aka the Michelin Man) offering a stranded family with a flat tire, a tire from his own abdomen! The Discount Tire Collection posters reflect the technological advances in tire manufacturing over the last 100 years and convey the history of the industry to Discount Tire employees and visitors.
I’m currently a member of the Integrated Development Team (IDT) at Discount Tire . In a nutshell, IDT is responsible for development and delivery of training for the company using state-of-the art authoring and development tools. This group is a diverse group of very talented instructional designers and developers, Web developers, graphic designers, videographers, photographers, and the technical writer. Using a blended learning approach, we combine face-to-face instruction with computer mediated instructions. The goal is to produce learning material that educates, keeps the attention of the learner, and is fun. All in all, we strive to provide an excellent learning environment and experience.
The hat I’ve been wearing since starting my journey at Discount Tire is supporting information technology folks with their documentation needs. This includes writing policies and procedures, developing training material, branding documents, or assisting with templates and fixing styles that go wrong. I wear a different hat for proofing and editing training material and simulations. These hats keep me engaged, give me a sense of accomplishment, and make my job interesting and fun.
Discount Tire’s vision and philosophy empowers employees to be the best and enjoy living the dream. I’m doing both.
