The tyre fitting and wheel alignment service that never sleeps
04/12/2023
From its base in Dungannon, County Tyrone, McCullagh Tyre Services provides comprehensive mobile tyre fitting and commercial vehicle wheel alignment services nationwide. We touched base with eponymous founder / proprietor Dean McCullagh to get the inside line on a tireless operation that provides invaluable assistance to vehicle owners north and south.
Since its inception in April, 2021, McCullagh Tyre Services has earned a stellar reputation across Northern Ireland and beyond for delivering an unrivalled mobile tyre replacement service for all vehicle types, including passenger cars, vans, trucks, plant and agri equipment.
To complement the tyre fitting work, owner Dean McCullagh has also recently added prompt, professional, precise mobile commercial wheel alignment to his service offerings, resulting in a significant upsurge in business.
Through a winning combination of high-quality products backed by unbeatable customer service, McCullagh Tyre Services is growing in popularity on a weekly basis, with demand for its value-added, expertly-delivered services increasing exponentially. So much so, in fact, that Dean believes he may have to expand his business imminently in response to rising demand.
“I’m still a one-man band at the moment but I’ll probably be looking to push it on a bit because I’m getting so many calls now,” the Tyrone man states. “This business is all about looking after customers and their vehicles and I have to make the right decisions to continue operating to the very highest standards. The biggest part of that is that I’m never going to compromise on quality or service.”
Having worked with machinery and tyres all his life, Dean made the decision to set up his own company just over two years ago and this has proven to be an inspired move as McCullagh Tyre Services hit the ground running and quickly established itself as the mobile tyre fitting / wheel alignment partner of choice. It’s win-win for the customer as the very nature of the mobile service provided saves them time, hassle and money.
“I had worked for two other tyre outlets previously and was always doing bits and pieces on my own too so I decided I’d give it a go myself,” says Dean, reflecting on the genesis of the business. “I know tyres inside-out and it’s something I have always had a great interest in.
“I put my first truck tyre on, on my own, when I was only six years old. My father [Terry] was a heavy plant and truck mechanic and he taught me how to fit tyres old school, with levers. That was the way I learned it. When I first started to work in a tyre depot, the other lads there were amazed that I didn’t know going in there how to operate the machines, but I quickly got the hang of that.”
The expertise and contacts he had built up stood to him when setting up McCullagh Tyre Services and through providing superb service at a competitive price – not to mention the game-changing expansion into mobile wheel alignment for commercial vehicles – Dean’s reputation for excellence spread quickly and organically through word of mouth…
“It’s going very well and the wheel alignment has definitely moved things along to another level. It’s something else I learned at home in the garage. I was getting someone else in to do it initially but I decided I’d just do it myself. It’s a more mechanical procedure than the tyres. I bought the kit [from JOSAM] and that side of the business is now just as busy as the tyres.
“Even though the two services go hand in hand, it’s still quite rare to have someone offering both. The option is there for people who want both or either. When I put the new tyres on, I can do the wheel alignment too and vice-versa.”
McCullagh Tyre Services provides a 24/7 service for emergency or breakdown call-outs, but on-site tyre fitting / wheel alignment jobs will generally be booked in advance and carried out with a fast and efficient turnaround. “The phone never cools,” the Tyrone man continues. “For tyres, I mainly cover anywhere within a 30-40-mile radius but for wheel alignment work I’ve been in every corner of the country. I provide a full service covering everything that happens in a tyre depot … except I do it on site. I’ll call to their premises and fit the new tyres, but blow-outs and punctures will usually be fixed at the roadside.”
Dean stocks a vast range of tyres for commercial vehicles, trucks and trailers. “I have two containers full of truck and trailer tyres. For tractors and plant equipment, like earth movers or anything else, I can have the tyre ready for fitting the next day. The service is very fast and reliable and that’s one of the reasons why I’m picking up so much repeat business.”
Dean emphasises the importance of a good all-round tyre. “You have to consider everything – performance, quality, safety. There are a lot of tyres out there that aren’t worthy of even being called tyres. You need a good quality tyre that sits well on the road and, if possible, one that’s easily fitted and stripped. I’d recommend an all-round tyre – one that ticks all the boxes.
“I work a lot with Westlake and they are the tyre to have in my opinion. It is a great all-rounder and I never have had any issues since I started dealing with them.
“Dunlop / Goodyear is another very good outfit that never disappoints. I steer away from the budget stuff but at the same time it’s nearly a shame to put a premium tyre on an eight-wheeler that’s going in and out of quarries. So it depends on the vehicle and the work it’s doing.
“If somebody wants or needs a specific tyre, I have access to all brands,” Dean concludes. “The mobile service unit is fully fitted out with all the tools I need to provide a top-class service and my motto is to do it once and do it right.
“I make sure I leave every job that I’m happy with it. And I’m very particular, so if I’m happy, then the chances are that everybody else is going to be happy with it too.”
The success enjoyed by McCullagh Tyre Services to date suggests that this is always the case!
McCullagh Tyre Services,
Dungannon,
County Tyrone.
Tel: +44 7808 814524
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mccullaghtyreservices
First published in Irish Trucker magazine Vol 26 No 6, October/November 2023
