Service de Pneu Sguin

About Service de Pneus Sguin

Location: 841 Maloney est., Gatineau, Quebec

Affiliation: President Tire Founded April 2005 3-bay, tire service and general repair operation 2 bays under construction 3 employees, 1 licensed technician

At the Indianapolis 500, you’re considered a rookie if it’s your first “500”, even if you’re vastly experienced in other forms of racing. World driving champion Jack Brabham was a “rookie”, at least at Indy. Stphane Sguin, owner of Service de Pneu Sguin in Gatineau, Quebec, is a little like Brabham: new to the business, but not new to business, as his former enterprise was a successful bar in Hull (now a part of greater Gatineau). Service de Pneu Sguin, like its name implies, is a broad line tire dealer operating under the President Tire banner, and offers a unique “house call” mounting and balancing service. Sguin, who credits his brother (the operator of a garage in the bucolic St-Andr-Avelin neighbourhood), for the impetus to start an auto service business and is proud of his ability to draw customers from both sides of the provincial border. “We get almost 20% of our business from Ottawa”, claims a proud Stphane, who notes that price is a major component of sales in either official language. Sguin also understands the impact of women on the auto service market. “Nearly a quarter of my clientele are women. What they’re most impressed with is the cleanliness of my shop. I made a point that you can drop your sandwich on the floor and then pick it up and eat it. It surprised me how clients reacted positively to a clean environment.”

And what’s the biggest surprise for this start up entrepreneur? “Stepping into this business has been a lot more costly than I expected. You’ve gotta be a risk taker to throw that kind of money into a business without previous experience, but so far results are very encouraging”, comments Stphane, adding, “as in any other business, you know it will take an awful lot of your time, sometimes at the expense of family life. The load of paperwork, especially in Quebec, is overwhelming: health and safety regulations, municipal red tape, environmental constraints and two levels of taxation”.

Did Sguin’s previous experience prepare him for auto service? According to Stphane, the answer is yes, especially in establishing critical customer relationships. “What stuck me is how people value a personal contact. I shake hands every day with customers who seem to need confidence even more that a specific product. Our task is a blend of psychology, marketing and product knowledge. Surprisingly, being used to dealing with clients turned out to be my best asset. I thought I’d be selling tires, I’m rather discovering myself selling confidence!”

At Indy, “rookie” Jack Brabham carried an underpowered car to a top ten finish against experienced competition, and Stphane Sguin intends to do something similar in his race. “I know that there is no miracle without sweat. I may be green, but I really believe in hard work and I will be successful”.