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Ron Bailey is almost a Wyoming native. His parents moved to the Riverton area from Lyman, Nebraska when he was four years old. They purchased a farm near Tunnel Hill Road. Ron worked on the farm as a boy, until the Bailey's moved to Riverton when he was eleven. He remembers working all one summer helping his Dad grow certified potatoes and shocking grain. He did not go to town once, and at summer's end, he was glad to receive a check from his father for $5.00. Somehow, he got the idea that owning his own business might be a good thing.
Ron attended school in Pavillion, then started the sixth grade in Riverton when his family moved off the farm. His first job in town was mowing lawns, not trimming or watering (that took too much time), just mowing. His Dad financed the lawn mower for him to start the business. You can bet it was no riding mower either. In high school, Ron worked for the Phillips 66 service station located on Main Street, where Bell Jewelry is today. Except for a four year stint in the Air Force after high school graduation, Ron was associated with Phillips 66 for more than 30 year. Although he became a Sinclair marketer in 1999, he still sells Phillips 66 lubricants, along with other major brands like Chevron, Conoco and Shell.
After being honorably discharged from the Air Force, Ron came back to Riverton and leased the same Phillips 66 station he |
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worked for in high school. The following year, he was hired as manager of the VI station on North Federal. Around 1962, he leased the Gene Lee property, where Bailey Tire and Auto Service is located today.
Several years later, he and his wife Artis bought the property and began Bailey's Tire and Auto Service. Ron's sons, Mike and Darren began working at the family business when they turned 12 years old. Mike pumped gas and Darren filled bags of ice for the ice machine. Like Dad, both sons have grown up with the business.
From this one location, Bailey Tire & Auto has expanded and now includes two full service tire stores in Riverton and Lander and four Pit Stop Convenience Stores throughout the county. All in all, Bailey's provides jobs for around 60 people. In addition, to the tire and convenience stores, Bailey's provides many other services. They offer bulk fuel delivery with three bulk trucks and they run four big transport trucks directly to and from a number of refineries, so they always offer a competitive price. Bailey's delivers fuel all over the area, from Cody to Rock Springs. When it comes to auto and truck repair services they have an extensive shop at their main store in Riverton, where they can service 11 vehicles at one time and perform nearly every kind of mechanical repair. In addition, they have three mobile tire service trucks for repairs at your
particular location. Perhaps Bailey's biggest strength is the |
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tremendous tire loader and tractor tires in all, nearly 8,000 tires!
Chances are, they have what you need. In addition to tires, they stock rims, filters, batteries, valves, truck and auto parts. They carry oil in sizes from quarts to cases to five gallon buckets, 55 gallon barrels and 265 gallon totes.
Tires, batteries, oil, fuel, repairs and great customer service. That's what has made Ron Bailey successful. In fact, in 1975 Bailey's Tire and Auto was the 3rd largest seller of Phillips 66 tires, batteries and accessories in the entire nation! In addition to being recognized as one of the top tire and auto service dealers in the nation, Ron has served as Past President of the Wyoming Petroleum marketers Association as well as serving on their Board of Directors for many years.
Although Ron and Artis are semi-retired and Mike and Darren are managing the day to day business activity, the Bailey principles of sound business practice endure. They are: Quote the same fair, competitive price to all customers. The manager must be on location daily. (In fact, you'll hardly ever walk into the main store in Riverton without seeing at least one of the Baileys.) Be honest in dealing with customers, employees and suppliers. Provide fast, accurate and courteous customer service. Now, that's just good business.
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