Iain McCann’s team at Fountain Tire North Vancouver secured three company awards for its growing metrics.

By Lois Tuffin

In North Vancouver, Iain McCann has a simple formula for this thriving Fountain Tire location: the right team working hard with a focus on customers’ needs.

“There’s nothing wrong with the words ‘hard work.’ We focus on each customer to make sure they feel appreciated and know we’re taking of their vehicles,” he said.

This outlook won him and his staff three awards at Fountain Tire’s latest convention. On top of Most Improved Shop, they were also recognized for most improved tire units and most improved retail alignment.

“Without the team, those numbers don’t happen,” McCann added modestly.

McCann started his automotive career as an apprentice at Fountain Tire in 2001 before working as a technician, service advisor and assistant manager in other businesses in North Vancouver and Burnaby. His return to his roots in a Fountain Tire store in late 2018 “was like coming home.”

He began managing the 1^st Street location in mid-2021 and took over as a partner in early 2025. In between, the shop moved from a six-bay store to a larger building. In 2024, the team renovated and moved into the new shop within 45 days, closing the doors to business for only two of them.

Now, they have 10 bays to take on more work:

• five for mechanical repairs;
• three dedicated to tires;
• one for alignment;
• a drive-on hoist that holds up to 15,000 pounds for large trucks and small buses

The staff’s skills have also expanded, doubling his Red Seal technicians from one to two. The shop also has two tire technicians, two people on the counter (including McCann) and one apprentice. McCann “grows” his own talent via an apprenticeship program that passes down knowledge to the next generation of workers.

McCann also just invested in an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), making his the first shop in the area to do so.

“We do a lot of work for body shops and we hear they have long wait times for the mobile services,” he said. “When you look at vehicles and what you have to do to reset them, I would rather do it in-house. It is only going to get more complicated. If you have the room, you might as well get into it.”

Over the years, he has seen customers get busier with work and family commitments. This makes them rely on their cars – and timely updates on repairs – even more.

To keep pace, he communicates what they need with digital vehicle inspection reports that allow them to absorb information via text messages. He also believes in alerting them about unexpected issues with timelines and costs.

Everywhere he has worked, McCann has picked up lessons to apply to his own business. In his current role, he has turned to Nason Higinbotham, Vice President of stores in B.C., Manitoba and Ontario, as a mentor.

“I’ve learned to take a breath,” McCann said. “You don’t have to go full steam all the time.”

As a result, he has seen growth across virtually every metric, leading to the trio of company awards. He swears by doing quality work with a team committed to caring for customers’ vehicles.

And it seems to be working.