Need tires? Support good environmentalists Tires Plus!

[Minnesota Raindog]

I've done my share of urging boycotts of bad companies here on DU. Now it's time to urge support for one local business that gave a big FU to the Chamber of Commerce over their opposition to good environmental policies: Tires Plus. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is losing some prominent members over their opposition to climate-change legislation. That movement is spreading to the local level now:

http://www.minnpost.com/danhaugen/2009/10/16/12573/dissident_members_turning_up_heat_on_us_chambers_climate_change_policy

On Wednesday, Clean Water Action attempted to show similar dissent among Minnesota business leaders. The environmental group organized a teleconference for reporters featuring three past or present local chamber members who favor federal climate-change legislation, though none packed the star power of a Nike or Apple. They were Doug Pierce, a senior architect with Perkins and Will in Minneapolis; Dave Danielsen of Conservation Technologies in Duluth; and Tom Gegax, an investor and business consultant who co-founded Tires Plus in 1978 ...

Gegax is a past Chamber member who served as chairman and chief executive of Tires Plus for 24 years before selling the company in 2000. His split with the Chamber came shortly after that, when he resigned from the Minnesota Chamber's environmental policy committee after serving just a few months. He hasn't been a member since.

"I called it the anti-environmental policy committee," Gegax said.

He quit after clashing with other members who were more interested in blocking environmental measures, he said, though he couldn't recall specific examples of disagreements. "I had many people come up to me and say, 'I feel the way you do, but I can't risk .' There's a lot of peer pressure," he said.

Now, as then, he believes the Chamber's official positions do not reflect the views of business owners as a whole.

"Typically, it's: 'Let's not bother our economic engine for things that could be positive for the environment,' and I disagree with that."


We need two complete sets of tires and we'll be buying them at Tires Plus--AND letting them know why. Please encourage environmentally conscious businesses like Tires Plus. It really does make a difference!

[trotsky]

1. This is very timely news.

One of our cars needs new tires for the winter and I was just wondering where I'd go. Now I know - thanks!

[wellstone dem]

2. The Tires Plus I go to here in Minnesota is wonderful

They are trustworthy and do good work. I could easily be taken advantage of, and they don't take the bait. I come in saying, "I think it is the alternator" and they say, "no, you just need a new battery." I love them.:loveya:

[trotsky]

3. Kick for this thread - I got my tires on Friday.

Called and asked if I could drop it off Friday night to have the work done on Saturday, whenever. They turned it around that very night; I picked up my car about 2 hours later. Nice work, didn't try to upsell me, offered a 3-year warranty on the alignment they had to do (back wheels were out of whack) but didn't push it at all.

I can wholeheartedly recommend them.