Les Gudlaugson, Founder of Majestic Tire Distributors 1996 Ltd.

 

In September 1968 Les Gudlaugson established Majestic Tire Distributors Ltd., Grande Prairie, Alberta.  A retail/wholesale distributor for Dayton Tires, he began his operation in a converted service station four miles north of Grande Prairie, with a territory extending from Fox Creek in the south to Hay River in the north and Fort Nelson to the west.  The first year’s sales tallied up to $122,872.

Initially, he operated with one outside salesman that traveled the territory with a half-ton pick-up to sell tires to dealers and service stations throughout the area.  Les did all the other jobs that were required to keep a business thriving, such as ordering, selling, repairing, shipping tires, and all the other duties that needed attention.

            After relocating closer to Grande Prairie, Majestic Tire eventually moved into a building shared with Central Dispatch Trucking in the newly-established Grande Prairie Industrial Park.  It was during this time that Majestic Tire chose to become a dealer for Uniroyal Canada Ltd.  By this time, there were three employees, Les, an outside salesman and a full time tire repairman.

            In 1974 Majestic Tire built a new office, tire shop and warehouse at the present location in Grande Prairie. The business continued to change and grow.  By 1979, the wholesale division was discontinued to enable concentration on the retail automotive industry and the number of employees was growing to accommodate the boom in Grande  Prairie in the early 1980’s.

            In 1987, for family health reasons, Les began a long distance commute to work from Surrey, B.C. and continued to do so with the help and support of loyal and committed sfaff  as long as his health allowed.   Office manager Suzanne Thibault  has 27 years with the company,and Lorne Gudlaugson has 16 years as assistant manager then three  years as owner. Terry Gliege has 13 years with the company.

            Today, with the knowledgeable and competent staff of twelve, Majestic Tire has evolved from its early beginnings to provide modern tire and automotive service to a varied customer base in Grande Prairie and throughout the  Peace River area.

            On September 26, 1998 Majestic Tire celebrated their 30th anniversary with a special all-day event to pay tribute to customers, suppliers, employees, family and friends with good food, lots of prizes and entertainment for everyone.

            On January 21, 2002 Les passed away in Vancouver General Hospital surrounded by his family after a courageous battle with cancer.  Les’ loss will be felt by all his family, staff, friends and customers.

            Majestic Tire will continue operating  with Lorne  Gudlaugson as owner.

                                                                                              Manager

                                                                                              Lorne Gudlaugson