Les Schwab Tire Center

When Les Schwab told me they were ready to expand into North Dakota and South Dakota, they asked CenterPointe to help figure out those markets and start assembling real sites they could tour. Not theoretical dots on a map. Actual deals they could walk.
 

One of the first towns I targeted was Aberdeen, South Dakota.
 

As soon as I started mapping the trade area, one site immediately stood out. It was an underutilized 2.3-acre parcel sitting directly in front of Walmart. Strong traffic, dominant retail anchor behind it, and the kind of visibility that makes a tire retailer very happy. From a site selection standpoint, it looked like the obvious choice for Les Schwab.

There was just one problem. It wasn’t for sale. So I tracked down the owner and cold-called her.

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Our first few conversations were rough. She made it very clear she had no interest in selling, and she wasn’t shy about saying it. A couple of the calls ended quickly with some version of “not interested,” although the wording she used probably wouldn’t make it past LinkedIn’s filters.
 

Most people would have taken the hint and moved on.

But the location was too good to ignore. I wasn’t calling to be a pest. I just wanted to have a real conversation and understand the situation. If it truly wasn’t a deal, I would have left her alone.

So I kept calling.
 

After about six attempts, she finally slowed down long enough to talk.

During that conversation, I learned something important. She was older, getting closer to retirement, and although the property wasn’t listed for sale, she had been thinking about selling it. She mentioned a price that was higher than where I thought the land would pencil.
 

I told her honestly that if she could get that number, she should absolutely sell it. I also told her where my numbers needed to be for the deal to work on my end.
 

About a week later, I got a call from her attorney. He said if I was serious, they were ready to move forward.
 

From there, things moved pretty quickly. We negotiated the business terms and got the property under contract.

As I worked through the economics with Les Schwab, it became clear that the land basis was a little higher than what typically works for their ground lease model. At the same time, we already had a number of other Les Schwab deals moving across the region, and they were eager to establish a presence in Aberdeen.
 

Rather than force the structure, I proposed that Les Schwab step directly into my position and purchase the property themselves.
 

By that point, the site had already been identified, the seller was aligned, and the transaction was essentially assembled. We agreed on a modest assignment fee, and Les Schwab took the site down.
 

Today, they control one of the best retail sites in Aberdeen, sitting right in front of Walmart with excellent visibility and access.

And it all started with a cold call that got hung up on more than once.