Celebrating 80 Years of Being the Best in The Midwest
Our company was built on excellence and innovation to provide you with the best possible service.
Because we’re the best in the Midwest, we focus on continuous improvement and new technology to enhance our services.
Over the years, we’ve added new services including wheel reconditioning and polishing, mounted wheel programs and emergency tire services to provide cutting-edge solutions.
But don’t just take our word for it.
These testimonials highlight why our customers believe we’re the best in the Midwest:
- “I stopped in for a three-axel alignment. They were very in-depth with their inspection and found a laundry list of issues to repair before the alignment was completed. Once the truck came off the rack, it was like driving on a cloud again! Very much recommend Bauer Built.” – D.T.
- “These folks are top-notch. They’re professional, quick and offer great prices.” – Patrick S.
- “You receive great service and attention to detail from friendly people.” – William G.
- “Great company with a strong work ethic.” – Jen E.
Find out how we grew from our humble beginnings.
Bauer Built Through the Years
1940s: G.F. “Sam” Bauer opened the Bauer Oil Company on April 18, 1944 in Durand, Wisconsin. We entered a franchise agreement with Firestone in 1945 and opened our first tire center in 1946.
1950s: The company officially became Bauer Built, Inc. in 1959.
1967: A fire destroyed the company’s original retread shop which was located in an old brewery. We built a new structure to accommodate our growing operations.
1970s: We opened two more tire shops: one in Eau Claire and one in Durand, Wisconsin. Sam sold his company shares to his sons and sons-in-law in 1976. The company entered a franchise agreement with Michelin. Sam’s son, Jerry, took over as president of the company in 1977.
1980s: After almost 40 years, Sam retired as chairman of the board. He handed the reins over to Jerry on July 1, 1980.
1990s: We opened several more tire centers across Iowa: Davenport, Marion, Waterloo and West Burlington. Bauer Built celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 1994. Sam passed away that same year. He was inducted into the Tire Industry Hall of Fame in 1995. We launched the company website in 1998.
2000s: There were losses and gains in the early 2000s as the company closed a few tire and retread centers in Iowa and Wisconsin. We opened a wholesale operation, tire center and retread facility in Romeoville, Illinois in 2001. Bauer Built also expanded into Nebraska, opening locations in Lincoln, Grand Island, Norfolk and Seward.
2010s: We continued to grow our geographic footprint, opening tire centers in Omaha, Nebraska and LeRoy and Preston, Minnesota in 2012. Leadership passed once more from father to son when Jerry’s son, Tad, took over as president of the company in 2013.
We completed our first fleet maintenance call in 2015 and opened more shops in Minnesota and Missouri over the next few years. The company restructured in 2019 as we opened, closed and moved a variety of tire and retread centers around the Midwest.
2020s: Despite the global pandemic, we reached major milestones in 2021. We installed the LESTA USA Robotic wheel painter in the wheel refinishing plant in Durand, Wisconsin. We set a record for the best sales months in April and June 2021. And on August 31, our team exceeded the record for total sales amount for a single day. The previous high was set in 1966.
In 2022, Jerry celebrated 55 years with the company. In 2023, we merged our St. Paul, Minnesota and Durand, Wisconsin retread plants and sold the Bauer Built Oil Division to Alcivia.
Expressing Our Gratitude
Thank you for helping us grow for over 80 years. Here’s to another eight decades of excellence and innovation.
Learn more about our history and the principles we’re built upon.
Categories: Bauer Built Blog
