At City Tire, it's out with the old, in with the new
Jan. 9—HENDERSON — For two-thirds of a century it has been a fixture in the Henderson business community. And for two-thirds of a century it has been a family-run business. Until now.
"It" is City Tire Inc.
John Rainey began operating City Tire Recappers in 1956. Since then, City Tire has been synonymous with the Rainey family name — first, the father and then the next generation.
John Rainey ran the business until 1976, when his four children took over: Mike as president and general manager; Ray Rainey, vice-president; Patricia Frazier, secretary; and Rebecca Aycock, treasurer.
That family connection ended on Dec. 29, when City Tire was purchased by Anthony and Cheryl Lamancusa.
Anthony — who grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida — is an electric design engineer and has spent much of his career providing design services to the military. Cheryl — a native of Ohio — has a background in marketing and homecare. She now works as an oncology massage therapist. The couple currently lives in Raleigh.
The original company name — City Tire Recappers — reflected a major component of the tire business in mid-twentieth century, when recapping was a strategy for extending the longevity of a tire. The name was formally changed to City Tire Inc. in 1986 when the company moved from South William Street to its current location on West Andrews Avenue.
Mike Rainey took a little time recently to reflect on the history of City Tire and its role as part of the Henderson business community since the middle of the 20th century.
His father, John Rainey, operated the business for 20 years. "He made right decisions," building a good customer base, Mike said. So good that the business has served three generations of customers, certainly in part because "we backed everything we did."
A lot of business has come and gone during those years, he said. Now it's time to step down.
"I've done this since 1976," Mike said. "It's been good to me."
He has no big future plans right at the moment. He's in his 20th year as a city councilman, serving as the at-large representative for Ward 2 in Henderson. He plans to continue in that role.
