By McKenzie Brown
Love’s Tire & Service Center is celebrating 30 years of serving Valrico and the surrounding communities, marking three decades as a family-owned business built on trust, hard work and lasting relationships.
Owners Scott and Gay Lynn Love purchased the Valrico shop on April 1, 1996, beginning what would become a 30-year journey in the automotive industry. The date may have been April Fools’ Day, but the commitment was no joke. Before becoming owners, Scott Love had spent 16 years working for Charles Brazzeal, who owned two Goodyear Tire & Auto Repair locations. In 1994, Brazzeal transferred Scott Love from Tampa to the Valrico location, where he prepared him for ownership before eventually selling him the store.
That purchase launched more than a business. It began a family legacy. Gay Lynn Love joined her husband at the shop, often bringing their two daughters, Peyton and Chloe, with her while they were still young. What started as a husband-and-wife operation soon became a second-generation family business.
Today, both daughters work alongside their parents, as does their son-in-law, Ty Sullivan. Together, they now serve the children and grandchildren of many longtime customers, creating a rare full-circle moment for the family and the community they have served for decades.
Over the last 30 years, Love’s Tire & Service Center has remained steady through some of the country’s most challenging times, including 9/11, the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic. Through every hardship, the Love family credits faith, loyal employees and longtime customers for helping sustain the business. Several employees have been part of the team for decades, including two who have worked there for more than 20 years.
During the company’s recent 30th anniversary celebration, the Loves were asked what has meant the most to them over the years. Their answer was immediate: the people.
From longtime employees to loyal customers, the relationships built over the past three decades have been the heart of the business and the foundation of its success.
Located at 1701 E. SR 60 in Valrico, Love’s Tire & Service Center continues to provide trusted tire sales and auto repair services to Valrico, Brandon, Seffner and nearby communities, carrying on a 30-year tradition of treating customers like family.
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