James Shrader, Sr., was given the opportunity in 1948 to move to Washington to become a lobbyist for his then employer, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.

The only problem was that his wife, Bernadine, had no intention of leaving Toledo.

"My grandma told him, 'I'm staying here,' recalled grandson Joe Shrader. "He stayed and started his own business."

Thus was born Shrader Tire & Oil, which started as a small operation in West Toledo and has grown into a $30 million regional distributor with 105 employees and seven locations in three states.

While the company got involved in different endeavors through the years, including selling auto parts and operating a retail location to cater to cars, it's become obvious that the best plan is to return to the core business of his grandfather, said Joe Shrader, the current president.

The store on Sylvania Avenue was closed last month, and growth efforts are now being concentrated on opening a retread operation for big-truck tires at the company's 200,000-square-foot facility in Melvindale near Detroit.

"We've gone through a lot of changes through the years, but the message I'd like to get out is that as one door closes, another one opens up," said Mr. Shrader.

The firm will expand its headquarters into the store area at 2045 W. Sylvania Ave.

"What we realized in the mid to late '90s is that we really needed to get bigger, that we needed to become a regional distributor," said Mr. Shrader, who took over as president in 2001 after his father, named Jim like the founder, retired from the helm.

"We adopted the philosophy of 'grow or go, there's no status quo.' "

The company's strategy has been to buy locations of competitors and to add more commercial fleet customers, whether it meant servicing the tires on one truck or thousands and offering 24-hour tire service at its locations.

Jim Gilmore, vice president of the Kuhlman Corp., said Shrader Tire does outstanding service keeping his 77 pieces of rubberized equipment in top condition.

"Their tires are good, but there are a lot of good tires out there," he said. "It's their people that make the difference. They're top-notch and they really look out for our company."

Perhaps Shrader Tire's biggest project has been the purchase and complete overhaul of the former Laimbeer Packaging plant in Melvindale that can be seen from I-75. It will house a Michelin retread operation that will open by midsummer.

"Truck tires are built to be retread, with 80 percent of its value in the core product, so you can still get comparable mileage after the second and third tread," Mr. Shrader said.

The Toledo company's executives want to continue to be a leader in the commercial tire and lubricant industry and to have profitable growth, internally and by acquisitions. They hope to double 2003 revenues to roughly $45 million in 2008.

There are a dozen Shrader family members working for the business, and they hope to attract more talent by making the company "the employer of choice," Mr. Shrader said.

"If a competitor loses a top guy, we want him to think of us first," he said.

Contact Mary-Beth McLaughlin at: mmclaughlin@theblade.com or 419-724-6199.

Small Business Profile is a weekly feature on local companies. To be considered, send information about your company to Small Business Profiles, Business News, The Blade, P.O. Box 921, Toledo, Ohio 43697-0921.

First Published June 12, 2006, 11:29 a.m.