How This Marine Corps Veteran Leaned on His Military Experience to Build a Tire Empire

Last summer, I took my van to Discount Tire to have a tire repaired after a blowout on the interstate. Not only did they fix that tire, they also checked my husband’s car and found another tire that was going flat. I spent about six hours with the folks at Discount Tire, and they treated me like family.

So when I learned the company’s founder, Bruce Halle, was a veteran, family man and hard worker, I was not surprised. The employees I interacted with were excellent, and I could tell the company's culture was rooted in taking care of others.

The Early Years

Growing up as one of six children during the Great Depression, Halle quickly learned the value of hard work. He delivered newspapers, cut grass and dug graves to help support his family. He then took his work ethic to the military.

Halle enlisted in the Marines alongside his brother in 1950. Bruce went to Parris Island, South Carolina, and his brother to Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego. At that time, he was making $18 monthly as a private.

"I was lucky in the war," he said. “I was never hit, but my brother was. Thankfully, he recovered. I grew up fast in Korea. When I returned, I felt ready to go to school and perform.”

After returning from the war, he went to school for a business administration degree and graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 1956. After a failed bid as a partner in an established wholesale tire company, Halle called on his military experience to remind him he could overcome challenges with determination and hard work.

Starting with 6 Tires

From there, Halle started his tire and wheel retailer, Discount Tire, in 1960. He started with six tires in a showroom in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He was a one-man show, serving as the salesperson, service technician and accountant. He was also the janitor and sign painter. Operating on a skintight budget, he went to a nearby gas station to fill his portable air tank.

If you’ve ever visited a Discount Tire location, you can see that Halle was focused on the customer’s experience. Part of his business ethos was to surprise the customer with unexpected benefits, which is still a part of the service today. Discount Tire offers free snow tire changes, free flat-tire repairs and clean bathrooms. With more than 1,100 stores in 38 states, it’s easy to see how Halle got it right.

Taking Care of Others

Halle and his family have supported their local community, as well as other philanthropic efforts, including repairs on the Vatican. Discount Tire also is committed to its employees; the Bruce T. Halle Scholarship Program, which has awarded more than $8 million in funds to send employees’ children to college.

Halle was an incredible example of how hard work and caring for others go hand in hand. He certainly lived out his words, "There are really just five simple lessons to life: Be honest, work hard, have fun, be grateful and pay it forward.”

Halle died in 2018 at the age of 87.

Time to upgrade your tires? Discount Tire has you covered with their military discount .