For the past seven years, Hayworth Tires has been the Reader’s Choice for best tire store, and this year was no exception as Hayworth Tires was once again voted best tire store and also won best automotive store.
Hayworth Tires has locations in Elizabethton, Johnson City and Kingsport and provide more than just tires. They also offer other services, such as front end alignments, brakes, shocks, struts, front end parts and oil changes.
The Hayworth family has been in the tire business for a long time.
“My mom and dad started in the tire business in 1969,” said owner Kevin Hayworth. “We opened up our first retail store in Kingsport in 1984, then we opened the Elizabethton store in 1985.”
Hayworth has been running the Elizabethton store since 1985, and has owned the establishment for the last 20 years. Hayworth said that the tire business is not what it was when he started due to the fact that the industry has become very complicated.
“The tire business has definitely changed,” said Hayworth. “I mean, when we first got started, you just had a few sizes and now there are so many different sizes that, you know, it is hard to keep up with.
“We just bought a new mag changer just last week. You know, to try and keep up with the eighteens, nineteens, twenties and the twenty-twos. There are so many different sizes and so many different kinds of wheels that you have to have someone who knows what they are doing and are willing to do it right.”
Hayworth said that most customers who come into his store are not sure what they want to put on their vehicle, so he and his staff work hard to make sure people are getting what they need. He also said that the staff at Hayworth tires makes sure that everything they do is done properly and that everything is in its correct place.
“When we are doing alignments we check all of the parts and make sure everything is safe,” said Hayworth. “And we also make sure you’re not throwing your money away. So, we have plenty of experience and plenty of knowledge in the tire and automotive business.”
Through the years, Hayworth said that he and his family have taken pride in making sure their customers have come first over everything else.
“The number one priority is our customers,” said Hayworth. “To my dad and mom it was all about, you know, to do whatever we need to do to take care of these people. I want to treat them like if I was going out to a store and how I would want to be treated.”
Hayworth said he feels that his staff’s desire to help people is the reason that his establishment has won so many awards.
“When people come in they feel like they are wanted here,you know, and feel like they have been taken care of,” said Hayworth. “We started around 29 years ago and then we were dealing with the parents or the grandparents and now we are serving their kids and their kid’s kids, and that is something that is really neat to me.”
After winning the Reader’s Choice for the seventh time, Hayworth said that he is just thankful to have such a great customer base and he appreciates their votes.
“Some people say it might not be a big deal to win these type of awards, but I take pride in it,” said Hayworth. “Because that is my customers voting for us, and saying, ‘Hey you guys did a great job.’ So, this is definitely a proud moment for me. You put a lot of hard work into it and it just shows that you are doing things right.”