For my yearbook class, I had the opportunity to interview Kenzie Turnbull about Turnbull Ag Tires. The Turnbulls started their business in 2019, and when asked what inspired them to enter the tire industry, Kenzie replied: "We got into the tire industry because it's the backbone of everything that moves, especially in agriculture, where downtime isn't an option and every hour matters." What started there naturally grew into servicing car and pickup tires, along with oil changes and alignments, allowing them to take care of their customers from the field to the road while continuing to 'Keep America Farming’.
This Ag tire business started with close to nothing. I asked how long they have been in the tire industry. Kenzie commented, "We've been in business since 2019, starting in our backyard with one mechanical service truck, two tire spoons, and a bottle jack.” Since then, they have grown into a full operation with six service trucks and four locations, built on hard work, grit, and a commitment to serving their customers.
If you have ever wondered how to start your own business, as I did, Kenzie has some advice: “Business is about focus and tradeoffs. If you try to keep everything, you'll build nothing. You have to be willing to sacrifice comfort, time, and even good opportunities to chase the right one, because growth always demands a price after all, even heaven demands death.” No one starting their own business is perfect, so lessons from mistakes are very important. So when asked what lessons they have learned from running a business, Kenzie answered, “Running a business has taught me to say yes first and figure it out later because momentum beats hesitation every time. You learn quickly that problems are constant, but so is your ability to solve them, and the ones who win are the ones who keep moving, adapting, and refusing to quit.”
A big thanks to Kenzie for answering all of my questions!