Coffs Harbour tyre professional celebrates 49 years on the job

FORTY-NINE candles were lit on Neil McAlpine’s long service celebration cake, almost proving too much for the red velvet decoration to handle.  

With a small fire quickly averted and the cake adjusted, the candles were relit and blown out, with Neil flashing his trademark smile.

For the 69-year-old manager at Bridgestone Select Tyre & Auto in Coffs Harbour, 49 years of service is not too much.

Customers say they find him friendly and knowledgeable.

Neil still loves going to work each day.

“It’s all about the customer relationships,” he told News Of The Area.

“I’m now seeing third generation families coming into the business,” he said, with families entrusting him with their vehicles over decades.

He’s described as “our [legendary] manager” by franchise owners Carol and Greg Tollis, who have worked alongside him in their first 16 months as business owners.

With a swathe of industry awards to his name and countless favourable customer reviews, Neil found his happy place in tyres and auto services straight out of school and stayed.

Neil attended Orara High School and started his working life as a clerk under a Youth Employment Program for Uniroyal tyres when he was 15-years-old.

The business was located on the Pacific Highway, opposite the old drive-in cinema site where Bunnings now stands.

Bridgestone Australia acquired the business in around 1980, and Neil’s employment carried over.

The company-owned store was then moved to Orlando Street and operated there until it was franchised and moved to Park Beach HomeBase, where it has operated as a franchise for the past 19 years.

At the time, Neil became the youngest store manager in the Bridgestone network.

Among the many awards he has received over the years, he won “National Store of the Year” for three consecutive years, along with numerous customer service awards from Park Beach HomeBase.

While Bridgestone Select Tyre & Auto has changed over time, Neil has consistently shown up as a “really decent” boss, inspiring mentor and a huge help on the shop floor.

Looking ahead to rounding up the numbers, he jokes about retirement, but for now he is aiming to reach 50 years of service at Bridgestone Select Tyre & Auto in Coffs Harbour.

By Andrea FERRARI