Photo/WES KELLER ONLY THE NAME AND OWNERSHIP of one division of Fred's Tire has changed. Fred Brundle, right, poses with Mike and Terry Holmes who have purchased the service vehicles of Fred's Truck Service for medium and heavy truck tire business and have continued to employ its staff for service to municipalities, farms and industry. There's a new name on the familiar three medium/ heavy truck-tire service vehicles of Fred's Truck Service, a division of Fred's Tire in Orangeville.

Mike Holmes and his wife Terry have purchased from the Fred Brundle family the truck service division of Fred's that has serviced farm, municipal and industrial trucks for decades, and renamed it Holmes Tires Inc.

In all other respects, there have been no changes at Fred's.

Fred's has retained its property and the service and distribution centres at the north end of First Street. With the exception of the single division and its three service trucks, all operations at Fred's are continuing under the ownership and management of the Brundle family.

Fred's is remaining as a retail outlet and wholesale distribution centre as well as a service centre for such as pickup trucks, SUVs and passenger vehicles. "I wouldn't want anyone to think Fred's Tire has been sold," said Mr. Brundle.

Unless clientele read the name change on the building and service vehicles, they probably wouldn't guess that the division has new owners. Holmes Tire is using not only the same vehicles but employing the same personnel as Fred's.

Despite a difference in their ages, Mr. Holmes and Mr. Brundle share the same kind of work background and philosophies. Neither has ever been far from the tire and automotive industry. Both place family high on their priorities.

Mr. Brundle, 66, started in his own business at Brampton in 1962. He moved it to Townline and John Street in 1966, thence to its present location, a former Beaver Lumber store, in 2001. It has been a success story for almost 47 years.

He attributes the success to the priorities of "health, family, and excellent staff." The importance of family is self-evident. "Joyce (his wife) is the driving force," he says.

Meantime, his son Frank is in charge of the imposing service centre on Starrview at First Street, and son-in-law Dave Denning runs the distribution centre.

Mr. Brundle is quick to point out that he is not retiring from the business although he was personally in charge of the truck service division until he sold it. He still has a province-wide wholesale business to look after. (He often flies to distant customers using his own fleet of single-engine aircraft as he is a pilot.)

Mr. Holmes, 41, would be known in the industry as he has spent "all my life in trucking" including E.S. Holmes Trucking, Shelburne Truck and Trailer, and Cartall Express in Tullamore. It was never a case of jumping from one job to another. Generally, there were changes in businesses but he remained much with the same people.

Mr. Holmes's aim for the new venture is twofold: First, he says, "I'll offer the same quality of service as Fred had." To this end, he has retained the same employees. Secondly, he has two sons and he's hoping they'll "take an interest," as has the Brundle family.

"It was kind of a deciding factor. You don't know what young people are going to do the way the work force is now."

So he and wife Terry, perhaps a "driving force" as is Fred's wife Joyce, expect that son Bradley, 12, along with son Tanner, 8, will find a niche in the family business.

The Holmes family has already moved to Orangeville where the sons attend Credit Meadows school. Bradley plays hockey and football, and Tanner is into boxing.