Les Schwab Tire Center

When Les Schwab started exploring Jamestown, North Dakota, I had already done my homework. Before their team even toured the market, I had identified an off-market site that I believed I could assemble for a potential store.

After the tour, Les Schwab’s real estate team came back with their feedback on the trade area. They liked the market, but they had their eye on a different location.

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There was just one problem. The site they liked wasn’t on the market. And it was owned by a local auto dealership group.

 

In my experience, that combination usually means the answer is going to be no. Car dealerships service vehicles and sell tires, so they rarely want to sell land to someone bringing in a competing use like a tire store. Still, there was only one way to find out.

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I tracked down the owner and gave him a call. To my surprise, he couldn’t have been nicer. We had a good conversation, and I was very transparent about what we were trying to do. I told him we were interested in buying a portion of his excess land and that the intended use would be a tire store for Les Schwab.

I could sense a little hesitation on the other end of the line.

 

So I decided to just address the obvious. I told him, “Look, Les Schwab is coming to Jamestown whether we do this deal or not. You might as well sell off a piece of excess land and get something out of it rather than just watching a competitor show up across the street.”

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He paused for a moment, then said something along the lines of, “Well… that’s actually pretty logical.”

 

From there, the conversation shifted. We worked through the details, agreed on terms, and put a deal together for the site.

Les Schwab ultimately leased the property from me, and the project moved forward with a brand new store in Jamestown.

Sometimes the key to getting a deal done is simply acknowledging the reality everyone in the room already understands and presenting a solution that makes sense for both sides.