Robin and Cory Lafortune were recently honoured with the Fountain Tire MVP Award. This father and son duo are Co-owners of the Fountain Tire Val Caron store located in Sudbury, Ontario, and according to Fountain Tire, “their exceptional leadership, dedication to safety, and deep community roots have set them apart from 142 store owners across Canada.”

Robin has been in the auto industry for almost four decades. He got his start in the retreading end of the tire business, and even managed a tire retreading plant in Sudbury for twenty years. After his career in retreading, and prior to becoming a partner with Fountain Tire in 2012, he spent a few years with the competition. In time, however, he moved over to Fountain Tire, and is thankful that he did.

Cory got into the industry in 2007, straight out of school, and started working with his father at the Val Caron location a few years later. “We’re the first father and son combination to be named MVP,” says Robin. “It’s surreal to see your name on that trophy alongside prestigious Fountain Tire leaders; to see it next to your son’s is even more special.”

Cory is equally thankful for the experience. “This has been an incredible moment,” he adds. “Working with family isn’t easy, but we’ve proven that as long as we work together with the best interests of our customers in mind, the store will succeed. We always have the support of one another, and from our network of Fountain Tire owners across Northern Ontario.”

Steady growth

Since the grand opening in 2012, Fountain Tire Val Caron has been growing steadily. What started as a team of five has now grown to 20 associates, including automotive service technicians, tire technicians and service advisors.

According to Fountain Tire, sales have increased consistently year-over-year at the Val Caron store because of the Lafortunes’ leadership skills. Not only have sales increased, but so has the size of the physical store, which has doubled since the grand opening.

The secret to their success is simple, Robin explains. “We work hard and we care. We walk the talk,” he adds. “We listen to our employees to see what they need, and we work with them. Instead of just being the bosses and telling people what to do, we’re here to help our employees do their jobs well.”

Although the store is located about 20 minutes outside of Sudbury, customers drive from hours away to get their vehicles serviced at Fountain Tire Val Caron. “We have clients from all over the place,” Robin adds. “I think our success comes down to caring for people. When you put people first, they’re willing to come from further out because they trust you.

Another key aspect of their success is the fact that they are willing and eager to give back to the community. “We sponsor a lot of local teams,” Robin says. “We like to give back.”

While the vast majority of their business is passenger and light-truck vehicles, Fountain Tire Val Caron also caters to the needs of commercial tire purchasers, as well as the local agricultural community.

Appreciative customers

Customers from far and wide have come to appreciate that Robin and Cory do “walk the talk,” as noted earlier. “I spoke with a customer recently,” Cory recalls,” who told me that when we took over this store, she told her husband that they would have to find a new place to take their vehicles, since my dad and I weren’t going to be able to give them the level of service she was used to. However, she and her husband are still with us 12 year later, and they say that we exceeded their expectations. That’s always nice to hear.”

Speaking about the father and son duo, Fountain Tire CEO Jason Herle says, “Robin and Cory lead equally with their heads, their hearts and their hands. They gain the trust of many by caring greatly for their team and customers alike. Their commitment to growth and safety is second-to-none, and they represent Fountain Tire proudly in the local community. Their approach embodies Fountain Tire’s philosophy of ‘we’re on this road together.’”

Although Robin and Cory are both very thankful for the award, they insist that the recognition they have received from Fountain Tire won’t change the way they do business. “Nothing will change, because we always strive to do our best, all the time,” Cory concludes. “We’re not perfect, but if we do our best every single time, then we’re sure to continue to have success.”