Normal / Illinois / United States
Tommy House Tire Company was founded in 1955 by Thomas J. House. Initially a full service gas station, the business soon moved downtown, and began offering brake and alignment service as well as retail tire sales. The business was successful, but Tommy felt that he needed something to give him a push forward in the tire business. He attended the Chicago Tire show, and met a man named roy Carver. Mr. Carver said he had see a process in Germany called retreading, in which a worn tire casing is given a second or third life with a new tread. The inventor of this process was named Bandag. Mr. Carver decided to purchase this process and patent it worldwide. In 1965, Carver flew to Decatur to meet Tommy. He had some trouble getting his landing gear down, so after headquarters sent down another plane, he and Tommy flew to Mt. Vernon to see a Bandag plant. Tommy was just a little guy in the tire business, but took the risk and joined forces with Bandag. What bandag offered was a cold cap in a low pressure curing process - thats what made the rubber tougher than any other process. Tommy bought a truck and started calling on truckers. His friends in the business predicted he would not last a year. But Tommy knew that truckers were carrying heavier loads and running faster than ever before. He knew they needed a better tire. Tommy happily proved his friends wrong. Tommy House Tire still has a retread plant in Decatur. Dick House, Tommys son, was the first employee of the tire store. These days Tommy House Tire has over 60 employees. The company has continued to grow and now includes 6 locations across Central, Illinois. Tommy House Tire continues to offer expert advising and service to truck fleets some of Central Illinoiss largest.
