ROCKINGHAM — Will Moss never intended to be in the tire business.
After several years of helping his father, William “Bo” Moss, change tires, he vowed not to do it again.
However, he was the one holding the giant scissors Thursday morning for the grand re-opening of Moss Brothers Tire in West Rockingham.
FAMILY BUSINESS
Moss Brothers wasn’t always a tire shop.
It was started as a general store in 1917 by G.W. Moss and his brothers J.B. and T.K. Moss.
Moss said they sold groceries, fertilizer, corn and feed for cattle, much like E.E. Vuncannon in Ellerbe, which recently celebrated its centennial anniversary.
G.W. Moss made it through the Great Depression and was able to loan money to members of the community when needed.
“He pretty much kept West Rockingham on their feet,” said Moss.
G.W. Moss later bought out his brothers’ interest in the business, which he ran until passing away in 1962. His oldest son, George, then bought the business from his mother.
George Moss ran it for nearly 30 years before selling to his son, William “Bo” Moss.
Following his death in 2012, Bo’s wife Elaine owned it before turning it over to their son Will Moss last year.
Richmond County Chamber of Commerce President Emily Tucker said Moss Brothers has been a member of the Chamber as long as she can remember.
“They’ve been a locally owned, family owned business and well known in the community for many years,” she said. “It’s nice to see it continue to grow, continue to expand and to see a fourth-generation Moss continue to operate the business.”
CHANGE OF DIRECTION
Moss Brothers was converted to a tire store on June 13, 1988.
“Back in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, my father used to wake me up every Saturday morning to go change tires,” Moss recalled. “We would make our rounds. We would go to different corporations to inspect their fleet. And I did that for a number of years.
“I told him one day, “I’ll never change tires in my life,’” he continued. “I said, ‘You can mark me off from the tire business, I’m going to college.’”
So he did.
Moss started at Appalachian State and finished up at Gardner Webb University with a degree in sports marketing.
He went on to work for the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team and Charlotte Checkers hockey team before coming back to Richmond County and working for Piedmont Cheerwine Bottling Company.
After a few years, he left there to teach math and physical education at Richmond Senior High School and helped with the school’s baseball program. In 2003-04, he became the head baseball coach in Anson County.
A year later, Moss returned to Cheerwine, where he still works.
“Here I am, back in the tire business — from a different point of view,” Moss said. “I’m glad I did, it’s really been a blessing to me, for my family and I’m glad I made it full circle and came back.”
While he owns the tire shop, longtime employee Mike Long oversees the day-to-day operations.
Long has been in the tire business for nearly 50 years and has been with Moss Brothers for the past 32 years.
“He started with my father in 1988 as his right-hand man and now he runs it for me,” Moss said. “That’s been a blessing … he’s very loyal, he’s been with us through thick and thin.”
Long said when he started in the business in 1970, there were only 25 sizes of tires — now there are more than 400.
The family had planned to celebrate its 100th year in business in 2017, but plans fell through.
So when Will Moss took over, he remodeled the shop – “gave it a facelift” – starting in February of 2019 and ending a year later.
The upgrades included a new sales desk and sales floor, a new stock room, a new roof — and a new logo, featuring a caricature of his father.
The shop has also taken on a few other tire brands.
“Goodyear has been good to us,” Moss said, “but we can get anything.”
The number of employees has nearly doubled from four to seven within the past year.
Moss Brothers not only provides tire changes and alignments, but also performs oil changes and works on brakes.
“I like to call it a one-stop shop,” Moss said.
He said he had planned to have the re-opening celebration in April, but had to delay because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company serves an estimated 50-75 customers each day, including commercial business.
And the business isn’t just local. Moss said they have customers from neighboring Anson, Chesterfield and Marlboro counties, as well.
Moss said the shop had one of its best years ever in 2019 and is on track to break that record this year.
“We’ve been blessed.”
