Pomp’s is Rod’s new circumstance
Staff writer
Hillsboro tire shop Rod’s Tire and Service was purchased last week by Pomp’s Tire Service. Former owner Rod Koons will transition to a role as an “agricultural tire consultant” with Pomp’s, a national chain of tire stores.
“Rod is wrapping up, making his way out,” manager Dallas Bartel said. “His hope is that everything’s cleaned up and out by the end of the month so he can take up his new position.”
The business’s Facebook name was changed Monday to “Pomp’s Tire Service (Hillsboro, KS).” Koons’s old website, rodstire.com, now redirects to the Pomp’s homepage.
Koons and his tire shop were a fixture in Hillsboro. He owned and operated the business alongside his wife, Carrie Koons, for more than 25 years.
Bartel called the Pomp’s takeover “a whole new, different opportunity” for the store.
“It’s really opened our doors to the potential to provide more products to our customers at a better price,” he said.
“This was Rod and Carrie’s decision,” Bartel added later. “They were faced with an opportunity, and they seized it.”
Pomp’s was founded in 1939, and is headquartered in Wisconsin. It is a big name in the car-servicing world, boasting shops from Pennsylvania to Oregon.
With the new ownership, Bartel hopes to increase the store’s staffing. He also said Pomp’s would bring in a larger variety of tires.
However, Bartel also stressed that Pomp’s would continue to offer affordable service and retain the local charm that Koons cultivated.
“Everything’s the same,” Bartel said. “The only difference is the name on the building.”