The lot stays busy at Panorama Tire in Panora.
Kade Arganbright continues the family business.
By Rich Wicks | Panora Times
What’s in a name? Well, for Panorama Tire, there’s more to the business than just tires. Owner Kade Arganbright explained the wide variety of services offered at the shop.
“We do oil changes, brakes, we do some suspension work, light motor work, and general maintenance,” Arganbright said. “But tires and service calls is about 60-70% of our business.”
Kade Arganbright is proud to carry on his grandfather’s tradition at Panorama Tire.
“My grandpa owned Smith Tire in Yale, and he had a few other shops around the area,” Arganbright said. “He bought Panorama Tire in 2019, and then he was thinking of retiring, so I bought it from him on Sept. 1, 2022.”
Arganbright added that his grandfather, Tom Smith, still helps out at the shop occasionally. Other members of the Panorama Tire crew include Amanda Doran and Evan Johnson (shop crew) and Baylee Gymer (office).
According to Arganbright, many people assume he only offers passenger vehicle tires.
“People are still learning that I do tractor tires and semi tires and things like that,” Arganbright said. “And I’ve got a service truck for on-farm service when needed.”
Looking to the future, Arganbright doesn’t plan to change much at his business, other than wishing for a little more elbow room.
“Someday, I’d like to change the layout of the building. I wish it was a little deeper, and I wish I had bigger doors,” he said. “I can get a semi in, but it’s tight. I don’t really like to change semi tires outside in the middle of winter.”
Much of Panorama Tire’s business shows up as a result of normal wear and tear, but some is also the result of mistakes and/or accidents — and that includes Arganbright himself. He shared a story of a recent near-miss with one of his work vehicles.
“I backed my service truck up in front of my doors, and then I was inside working. I had my doors shut. My service truck is a stick, and I guess I forgot to put it in gear, and the truck rolled back almost into the parking lot across the street. The back end of it was sticking out into the road.”
The truck had rolled completely across Highway 44, which is usually bustling in Panora during the workday. Arganbright discovered the roll-away about the same time a police officer arrived on the scene to check out the situation. Fortunately, there were no injuries or property damage.
“I got kind of lucky,” Arganbright said.
If/when your luck runs out, or when something just wears out, Arganbright and his crew are ready to help get your vehicle ready to roll again. n