Illinois-based family-owned tire company Waukegan Tire has tied up with high-end luxury accessories provider Passchal in a move to make their stores more female-friendly. Fashion and nature lovers are flocking into the store and the bags are selling like hotcakes. The many accessories include credit card holders, travel bags, hobo bags, and men’s briefcases – each one unique and different with its own ridges and markings. Waukegan has dedicatedly worked its way to creating a woman-friendly store and is the first tire shop in the country to carry accessories. The store will also set aside ten percent of the bag sales to benefit the United Way of Lake County.
Waukegan Tire, founded in 1968 by Jerry Nerheim, has four branches, two in Waukegan and one each in Grayslake, and its headquarters in Park City. The company was chosen by Tire Review magazine as one of four Top Shop finalists and has received commendable remarks for its commitment to offer superior services to women customers. Passchal bags are the brainchild of Ken Kobrick, an ex-welder, and inventor Angela Greene. Committed to recycling, the duo created their collection using discarded tractor tire inner tubes. The bags incorporate leather trim and sides, keeping them lightweight, and are available in different colors and textures. The leather used is by-products, vegetable dyed and chrome-free highlighting its eco-friendly properties. The unique bags have been featured on several leading publications including Rolling Stone and Entrepreneur as well as on NBC’s Today Show.
[Suntimes]
