Marshall Bullard
Wholesale and wheel specialist | BTS Tire & Wheel Distributors, a division of Black’s Tire Service Inc. | Age: 36
What was your first job in the industry?
Sweeping floors in the shop and off-the-road tire road service.
What attracted you to the industry?
The love for cars and trucks as a kid.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your career?
So many more tire sizes and the ever changing trends and computer systems on vehicles.
Who has had the biggest influence on your career?
The dealers I sell to and the relationships I am making along the way.
What is your biggest accomplishment in the industry?
I would have to say starting from the bottom and learning to be able to change and sell any tire and wheel the industry can produce. Nothing’s been given to me without it being earned by hard work and dedication and from an awesome family-owned company. And also may I add I love putting a smile on people's faces any way I can.
What do you expect to be doing 20 years from now?
Maximizing my 401(k).
What’s the biggest issue facing the industry today?
All the new policies going into effect.
What’s the one thing you wish someone would have told you before you entered the industry?
Beware: It gets in your blood.
How do you encourage others to enter the industry?
Get dirty and learn from the back to the front. Ask a lot of questions and be safe.
Tell us about your family.
My brother works for GE Aviation and my sister is a speech pathologist.
What’s your favorite weekend activity?
Grilling out at home.
What keeps you up at night?
Thoughts in my head.
Tell us something about yourself others might not know.
I do all the cooking and I’m quite good at it.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Being on a boat anywhere, especially offshore.
Name a talent you wish you had.
Speaking other languages.
What’s your favorite food?
Shrimp and steak.
If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?
My granddaddy, Edward Bullard.
If we took your cell phone away and said it would cost you $1,000 to get it back, how long would you survive until you paid the ransom?
One second. I’m a salesman, and it’s a tool in my toolbox.
