Getting The Job Done

By Jorge Pelegrin
For the tire business, the pandemic has come and gone, but the labor force at the warehouse level continues to be a challenge. During COVID, the challenges consisted of team members simply fearing acquiring the virus and/or consistently being in and out of work due to sickness. In addition, the labor force became extremely depleted.

Meanwhile tires did not stop rolling in and out of the building, in fact, the amount increased as international travel practically came to a halt and people had to settle for more domestic road travel. This increased demand for tires, and it increased the pressure for us to consistently get them in and out on time. Here at TGI, the entire team found a way to get the job done daily, something I take extreme pride in.

Fast forward to today, and a new challenge faces us. Soaring interest rates and the cost of living have become major issues for many. Consequently, we once again are facing labor force issues that present daily challenges for us at the warehouse level. The ability to retain talent at this level is becoming challenging given the transient nature of people looking for affordable living.

Tire Group International continues to march forward in positive ways, and this is a result of the foundation and culture we have put together over the years. This has allowed us to retain and develop many great leaders and team members over the years, which is a huge key to our success. Our ability to look ahead and provide our entire team with the necessary tools, along with our continuous software development, is something that has allowed us to continue to grow and succeed despite all these challenges.

After 19 years at the helm as VP of Distribution, I can proudly say we have always found a way. The bumps that will continue to come our way are exactly just that: we learn, we grow, we move on. I often mention to my team that this is simply a new chess game versus a new opponent daily, and that we must be ready, rested, and focused to make the necessary moves to win today.

Thank you for reading,
Jorge Pelegrin