Henry Hildebrandt, local owner of the Virden, Manitoba Fountain Tire, was awarded the highest honour, Most Valuable Player. Fountain Tire CEO Brent Hesje (right) and Senior Vice President Stores, Dave Deley (left) present Henry Hildebrandt with the MVP award.

Fountain Tire shone a spotlight on industry leaders across Canada at the Fountain Tire Owners’ Convention in Kelowna, BC. Henry Hildebrandt, local owner of the Virden, Manitoba Fountain Tire, was awarded the highest honour, Most Valuable Player.

“Success in the tire industry comes not only from building trust with and serving customers, but also from giving back,” says Dave Deley, Senior Vice President, Stores at Fountain Tire. “Henry has gone the extra mile to build a strong team of employees, create strong relationships with customers and get involved in his local community.”

Hildebrandt is well-known in the Virden community where he has served retail, commercial and farm customers since 2005. Within the company, he serves as a role model with strong business results who readily offers expertise, manpower and his own time to support other stores in need. Outside store walls, he is active in the community as a sponsor of many local events and organizations including professional rodeo, amateur hockey, curling, 4H and supporting his church.  

Under Fountain Tire’s unique partnership model, managers own 50 per cent equity in their stores. The Most Valuable Player is selected from owners across Fountain Tire’s network of 160 locations. Nominees are graded on several business success markers, including leadership, community involvement, customer relationships and safety.

Additional awards were granted to: John Laterveer of Moose Jaw, SK, Most Improved Mixed; Jason Di Bartolo of Winnipeg, MB, Most Improved Retail; and, Steve Charlebois of Huntsville, ON, Rookie of the Year.

“We are proud to profile these top performers and store partners who have exceeded exceptionally high operational standards,” adds Deley. “They are not only leaders within our company and in their communities, but also within the industry.”

Fountain Tire has presented the Most Valuable Player award since 2004. Past winners include: Dean Andrews and Tim Irving, Prince George, BC, 2018; Kent Staniforth, Lloydminster, AB, 2017; Stewart Martin, North Battleford, SK, 2016; and, Gilles Giguere, Sudbury, ON, 2015.

For more information on Fountain Tire’s ownership model, visit fountaintire.com.