FRANK BRUNDLE stands beside a sign announcing expansion plans Just six years after the biggest move in its history, Dufferin's largest familyowned tire dealership is marking its 40th anniversary by greatly expanding its warehousing facilities.

Fred's Tire was founded 40 years ago this fall by Fred Brundle, who remains the driving force behind the firm's remarkable growth in the face of tough competition from Canadian Tire and other retail chains.

For its first 34 years, the business was based in the south end of Orangeville, at the intersection of John Street and Townline.

But in 2000, the Brundle family decided that the time had come for a big move and acquired the former Beaver Lumber site across town, at the top end of First Street.

At the time, the move followed massive renovation of the structures that were aimed at providing enough space to accommodate 10 to 15 years' growth in the firm's retail and wholesaling business.

However, the wholesale business has already grown to the point where the existing warehouses at 220 First Street must be supplemented by several other warehouses at locations in the Dufferin area.

THE ORIGINAL Fred's Tire, circa 1967, on Townline Fred's son Frank, who for several years has been managing the wholesale business from a modest office behind the retail store, said the new warehouse will serve several purposes beside marking the 40th anniversary.

"For one thing, it will allow us to keep more inventory," he said, adding that it will allow all the warehousing to be based at the single site. (At present, about 20,000 square feet of warehousing is being leased elsewhere.)

But equally important to him and his father has been the opportunity the expansion will give to improve the appearance of the location immediately north of Orangeville Mall.

"It will all be clean, neat and tidy," Frank said, noting that was something his Dad has always insisted on.

Beyond purchasing the property next door, which once housed a service station and more recently was a "Master Mechanic" outlet, the Brundles have already gone to considerable remediation expense, having demolished the building, removed the buried old gasoline tanks

and levelled the site preparatory to construction. Asked when work on the new building will get under way, Frank replied: "We're hoping for a start around Sept. 10."

The importance of good warehousing is shown by the rate new stock is being acquired - on average, a full container of tires from places such as China, Korea and Germany as well as the U.S., three times a week.

A little-known fact about Fred's Tire is its role as a supplier of large and small tire stores and service stations as far away as Trout Creek, Parry Sound, Owen Sound and Walkerton, and even big centres like KitchenerWaterloo.

They include about 10 Tire Discounter outlets, some of which Fred once owned but sold off to their managers rather than run them as franchise operations.

Frank said the relationship with all the Tire Discounter owners isn't based on any formal contracts but "just an old-fashioned handshake."

Nevertheless, all the outlets "buy most of their stuff from us," he added.

Although the firm currently has 24 employees and about 15 vehicles, it's still most decidedly a family operation.

In addition to Frank and Fred, who after nearly 47 years in the tire business still loves it, is on the job daily at 7 a.m. and has no intention of retiring, the business is a full-time occupation for Fred's wife Joyce and son-in-law David Denning, who manages the retail operation.