Jeff Stafford began his business more than 30 years ago, when he first opened his tire center in 1975 he actually lived in the back of the store for a year and a half. "It was just easier that way at first," said Stafford of his unusual living arrangement. "I was starting so early in the morning and working such long hours, it made sense to live right there instead of make the commute!"

It may have been Stafford's hard work and initiative that started the whole tire thing rolling, so to speak, but he is the first to point out that the men who work with him are a big part of his success story. Michael Betancourt, Vice President of Stafford Tire, has been with Jeff since 1979. "He is one of the hardest working, loyal, trustworthy people I know," said Stafford. "And he's a true gentleman. A very unusual person. If he sees someone in trouble, he drops right in there and helps."

Assistant managers of the center, Ray Hickman, with 24 years of service, and Jim Hussey, 8 years of service, are in the same category, according to Jeff, along with Doug Burns, whose been with Stafford for 20 years and who runs the Alignment & Brake Center, R. C. Gaunthier, - 10 years of service. "They love to help, they don't shy away from hard work, they're always prompt and reliable. The guys who work with me are a team, but they're also leaders. Any one of them can step up, take charge and take care of whatever comes up."

When Jeff started in the tire business, he know that if he was going to "be a boss," he would have to be there every single day. He decided instead to hire first-rate people and then teach them, passing along his own knowledge and skills. As a true manager, Jeff requires his staff to make their own decisions and judgement calls, challenging his crew and making them responsible for everything from customer relations to the financial aspects of the center.

"Working at Stafford Tire is hard work, but if you make the cut, it's like being part of a fraternity," said Stafford. "I pride myself on the fact I've had a lot of people go from tire changing right up to management responsibilities. It's hard work, but it's also fun and fulfilling."

Jeff Stafford's number one priority is his customers, and it's that way for his crew as well. "You can't run a business on just the dollar. Our bottom line here is not to 'make a sale.' People have to feel confident in your product and service. Peace of mind is what it's all about. We're going on 30 years of friendly service here, and all day long we have people riding by, honking and waving. The people who buy from us trust us so much because they know us. We build a relationship with our customers, we pick them up if they're stranded on the road, or drive them to work when they need a ride. Everyone who works here has the same philosophy as I do. We've built up a successful business around trust and honesty and my policy is to allow my management to continue the open, friendly policy of helping people and working around whatever problems they might have."

Northern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce selected Jeff Stafford as the 2001 Business Person of Year.