Photo by Charlene Corson Selbee
For 50 years, Wiebke Tire has kept Caledonia and the surrounding communities moving, on the road and in the fields. Now entering its third generation of ownership, the business continues to thrive under Chad Wiebke, who works alongside Jon Kruse and a dedicated crew of five: Greysen Prouix, Hunter Augestine, Jim Hauser, Garrett Waldenberger and Gerald Schroeder.
Although Chad’s father, Joe Wiebke, is still the official owner, the two are in the process of finalizing the paperwork to transfer ownership to Chad. The family business was founded by Chad’s grandfather, Garnet Wiebke, and has evolved over the decades through three different locations in Caledonia – downtown Caledonia, Sinclair gas station on Hwy. 44, and the current location on Hwy. 44.
Chad is a lifelong resident of Caledonia, and Jon grew up in Caledonia and is moving back. Both are deeply rooted in the community they serve.
“I’ve worked here on and off my whole life,” Chad shared. “I did construction work in the warmer months, and when that slowed down in the fall, I’d come back and run the service truck for dad. When he got sick, someone needed to take over the service calls, and that was me.” Eventually, Chad returned to the business full time. Just like his dad served local farmers, Chad proudly carries on that tradition.
Former employees frequently stop by to catch up, and Chad makes sure they feel welcome. “Some of those guys gave 30 years to this place,” he said. “The least I can do is let them use the shop after hours.”
One Google reviewer, C.B., summed up the company’s service simply: “Amazing service and very polite men.”
The shop stays busy throughout the year. Chad handles on-the-farm service calls, while Jon focuses on the expanding commercial side of the business.
“The service truck is my baby,” Chad said with a grin.
Wiebke Tire sells all major brands of tires and serves farms within about a 50-mile radius of Caledonia, including parts of Minnesota and Iowa. “We have more than enough work right here,” Chad said. “During harvest, I can visit six to 10 farms a day. I can fill a whole notebook with service calls in just a couple months.” That’s how many service calls he goes on to repair stuff.
There are two other businesses in the area, one in Rushford and one in Waukon that offer on-call farm service and have a tire store. They all have more than enough work and all three businesses work well together.
Chad said that he is doing more and more work for different guys than he has ever done before.
The business has found its rhythm with the seasons. “We just go with the seasons,” Chad said. “Summer is construction, spring and fall are all about tractors, and winter is snow tire season.”
With harvest season in full swing and colder weather approaching, both Chad and Jon in unison offered one key tip for tire maintenance: “Check the tire pressure.”
When asked about common fall issues, Chad didn’t hesitate. “Slow down,” he said. “People get in too big a hurry during harvest. That’s when things get broken.”
Jon shared that they focus on what they are good at. He explained that people call Wiebke Tire when they go buy a tractor just to see what they should get for tires.
Reflecting on changes in the farming community, Chad added, “I wish there was more dairy farms like we used to have in the ‘80s. Back then, everyone had cattle, and that meant more tires. More tires!”
Wiebke Tire is located at 320 MN-44 in Caledonia, Minn. The shop is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed on weekends, a deliberate choice to maintain work-life balance for the team since both Chad and Jon have children.
For more information, call 507-725-2875 and follow Wiebke Tire on Facebook.
Leave a Reply