Tire store opens to serve Valley

WASILLA — In Alaska, there are sort of five seasons — winter, breakup, summer and the twice-yearly tire-change season.

Alyeska Tire General Manager Craig Wortham said between this bi-annual busy season and the continued growth in the Valley, he saw opportunity here to open a new store to service Southcentral customers. Alyeska Tire also owns tire stores in Fairbanks, Kenai, Soldotna and Homer.

Alyeska Tire will open its new Wasilla store Monday on the Palmer-Wasilla Highway across from the AT&T Sports Center.

The new store includes six work bays and previously housed an automotive repair business, said manager Izaak Lambert, who moved to the Valley to manage the new store.

Wortham said other than Lambert and assistant manager Don Rutherford, who relocated here from the Kenai Peninsula, he plans to hire Valley folks to fill the remaining slots.

To start, he said the store will employ seven people year-round and ramp up staffing during the busy season to a peak of 12 or so workers.

Lambert said interested people should call him at 707-1030 to inquire about work.

Wortham said in addition to profit sharing, he also believes in paying a fair wage and giving back to the community.

“We intend to come to the Valley and provide a service,” he said. “We are very community minded.”

Lambert said the store sells a full line of car, truck, commercial and farm tires. They even have wheelbarrow tires and other hard-to-find sizes, he said.

“We’re there for the community,” he said. “We’re there to provide a service.”

With customer service in mind, Wortham said all tires purchased from their store include free repair and rotation service, too.

“We want to be your one-stop tire shop,” he said. “You have a tire problem in your home, you go to Alyeska Tire.”

In addition to tire service and auto repair, Lambert said the store includes a showroom for tires and wheels and a waiting room that always serves free coffee and popcorn.

Winter hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday and summer hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The store will offer extended hours during the busy tire changeover season. Contact Alyeska Tire at 707-1030.

Contact managing editor Heather A. Resz at 352-2268 or heather.resz@frontiersman.com.