Charlie Barron
Vice president of technology | Chabill's Tire and Auto Service | Morgan City, La. | Age: 28
What was your first job in the industry?
My first job was working for Chabill's in our DC/warehouse where I would unload containers of tires and organize inventory. In the hot summers in south Louisiana, I can't say that I really enjoyed that job while I had it.
What attracted you to the industry?
I was born into it, so I am not sure if there was much attraction. I would say it was the constant exposure and (it) being all I ever knew.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
Leaving the company and industry when I didn't necessarily want to. During COVID-19 when the future was really uncertain, I had just graduated college in May 2020, and my mother encouraged me to walk a different path. I understood where she was coming from, but at the time it wasn't what I wanted to do. Ultimately, I came back a year later once we got through the thick of things, but it was tough at the time to consider doing anything else other than working for the family company.
Who has had the biggest influence on your career?
My mother, hands down. Having grown up around the business, I saw my grandfather in action, but I just didn't really know what he did at the time because I was still young (and) not in the know. Once I grew up and saw my mother in action, it was really incredible to see how capable she is running the business and how she is able to influence change in all our employees.
What is your biggest accomplishment in the industry?
Being so young, I don't feel like I have accomplished anything noteworthy to this point in my career. I have implemented changes in our company and been part of big decisions, but none of those feel like accomplishments. I think of things like that as part of my job. If I had to pick, I would say inspiring younger talent in our company to strive for bigger things. Being young myself, I think I have a stronger connection to some of the younger people in our company and when we have conversations on the future I feel I am capable of changing their perspectives and encouraging them to aspire for bigger things than they may even consider themselves capable of.
Tell us about your current job and responsibilities. How do you spend your workday?
I manage and facilitate all of our in-house technology needs. That includes data and reporting solutions, managing any technology vendor relationships with our point-of-sale provider or IT consulting company, and the many other tasks associated within the technology silo. I coordinate all of our company insurance as well as employee benefits like 401(k) and medical benefits plans. I manage our inventory including tires, parts, fluids, etc. and coordinate with vendors on the programs involving these items. I am in charge of employee training whether that be sales or technical training for the employees who work in our shops. On a daily basis, I am working with our managers to provide solutions in these areas to make their jobs easier to perform as well as answer any questions pertaining to the items listed above.
What's been the biggest surprise of your current job?
How much work truly goes into running a company behind the scenes. There are so many things that we at Chabill's do outside of just providing services to our customers. So much of my job is making the job of the people in our stores easier. Without these worries on their hands, they can do what they do best and take care of our customers and all the things that pertain to that on a store level.
Tell us about your family.
I don't know that there is much to say that you don't know already. My mother was just awarded MTD's Tire Dealer of the Year, so a lot about has already been published. We have been in the industry since 1968 servicing south Louisiana and all my siblings work in the business as well. I personally have been married for four years to my wife, Chelsea, and have a beautiful 2-year-old daughter, Eleanor. The lines between work and family are very blurred for me since so many of us work in the business and it consumes such a huge part of our time and energy.
If you could wake up tomorrow with one new skill, what would you choose?
The ability to accomplish the task at hand the first time, every time. So much can be juggled with my job and sometimes things get forgotten or cast aside, so I wish I had the ability to take on a task and accomplish it every time, whether that be one at a time or all at once.
In a single word, how would your friends describe you?
Hard-headed.
If you could switch careers tomorrow, what would you want to do, and why?
Professional food traveler. There is no career that I want to be in other than the one I am in now, so the only thing I would want to do professionally is travel the world and eat. I love traveling, I love food, and if I could be paid to do that, I am not sure I can find any downside to that career.
What's the biggest issue facing the tire industry?
In my opinion, that is probably consolidation and private equity. Our industry, as many others, are rooted in community and taking care of the people that live in those communities. When a business is acquired by private equity, that sense of community is lost and the service to that community is nothing like it was before. The independent/family-owned business is the backbone of America and to see so much of that going away creates a worry that family business isn't valued like it once was.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
An aerospace engineer. I love math and science so much and wanted to do something that challenged me mentally and that profession seemed to fit all the requirements.
How do you unwind after a stressful day?
Spending time with my family. Work can consume so much of my time, but when I go home to see my wife and daughter, those problems seem so trivial. When my daughter greets me at the door after work, it puts my mind at ease and takes the stress of the day away immediately. It also solidifies that they are the reason I do what I do with such passion because family is without a doubt the most important thing to me.
What goal did you set for yourself this year? Are you on track to reach it?
Not a professional goal, but I wanted to start working out and exercising again to be in better shape, and I am proud to say I am actively doing this.
What do you expect to be doing 20 years from now?
Hopefully...exactly what I am doing now with more responsibility. My dream is that I can be a third-generation owner and continue the legacy that my grandpa and mother before me have left on the company and industry.
