Cobb Tire & Auto Repair is a family-owned “Automotive Repair Shop” in Greenville, SC. My dad and mom started the business in 1979 after moving from Atlanta. I’m Rich Cobb, the younger son of the family. At the time, I was a 17-year-old student at Eastside High. My older brother Mike was in the Air Force stationed in Boisey Idaho. My father was a long time executive with Uniroyal Tire Company. In the late 1970s, Uniroyal made the decision to sell all their retail tire stores and just concentrate on making tires. My father, not happy with the hustle and bustle of Atlanta Georgia, had fallen in love with the Carolinas. Especially with Greenville South Carolina. He had a keen sense in knowing that Greenville had a lot to offer his family and that Greenville was a town with huge growth potential. The Cobb family made the move in 1979 to Greenville SC.
The opportunity arose for him in 1979 to purchase 2 Uniroyal tire stores in Greenville SC. With 2 sons, the plan could not have been better. Cobb Tire and Auto Repair was off and running. In 1983, my older brother retired from the Air Force and moved to Greenville SC to begin his career in the family business. I was away in College at Winthrop and soon became the 4th member of the family business. By the early 1990s, my brother and I were running the stores and my father oversaw all business decisions. My mom handled the finances, payroll, and payables. The Family Business was fast becoming a staple in Greenville SC.
On May 1, 2016, my brother traveled to Thailand as a USA Rugby Referee representative to follow his passion and to help bring along the game of Rugby. While walking back from the rugby pitch to his hotel, he was struck by a drunk driver and passed away. It was a hit and run incident and a tragic setback for our family. To this day, the loss is still felt in our hearts. Mike was survived by his daughter Lauren who is now married and living in Charlotte NC.
With the explosion of growth in Greenville SC, and especially the Downtown Area, our store at the old Bell Tower Shopping Center was in the crosshairs. The County owned the property, and they were looking to expand more County Office space. Around the same time that my brother passed, the County ended their lease with us, and we moved out. This was a good thing. We loaded up all the equipment and moved the operation to our Wade Hampton branch. Now my entire family is together working at one spot. My wife Leah and my son Cody are also involved in the business.
Both of my parents are still involved in the operation of our family business. We are all older now and just like every morning for the last 44 years, we open the shop at 7:00 and start the coffee. Personally, I love this business. I love that I’m with my family every day and I love that we can help so many Greenville citizens get back on the road and continue with their lives. I love that we can bring employees into our culture and watch them grow and flourish. The Auto Repair Business has been extremely good for our family.
