Campbell Tire: A Shelbyville success story changes ownership

On an average business day, it is common for Bruce Campbell to be the recipient of regular car horn salutations from Shelbyville’s Harrison Street traffic as he engages customers in the parking lot at Campbell Tire.

The daily acknowledgements from friends and customers serve as constant testimonials to an individual who, for more than three decades, has built a thriving business and earned the respect of a grateful community.

“I have been very fortunate that people have had confidence in me and the business,” said Campbell. “The customers are the reason we have been able to make it and be successful.”

Campbell recently announced that Campbell Tire has undergone a transition, as long-time employee Tony Sprague assumed ownership of the business, located at 623 South Harrison Street, earlier this year.

“Tony has served us very well,” said Campbell. “He has been a tremendous employee for 11 years; knows the tire business and I am very confident that he will do very well.”

The new owner is intent on maintaining the high standards of Campbell Tire that have served as its foundation since settling at its current site in 1993, as well as the name. He is also thankful that Bruce and son, Brady Campbell, will remain in supporting roles for some period.

“I wanted to progress and was looking for my next step when this opportunity came about,” said Sprague, who is married with three children. “My wife, Kate, and I decided it would be good to continue doing something I enjoy and have been doing for some time.”

Bruce, the eldest child of Max and Louise Campbell, grew up on South West Street in Shelbyville and graduated from Shelbyville High School in 1969. As with so many of his generation, he developed a passion for athletics.

“We lived next to the high school’s Athletic Field, so we were always playing something over there,” said Campbell.

Classmate and football standout John Cunningham convinced him to play football his senior year and Campbell finished the season strong.

“That was Tom Hession’s first year as football coach and he really had a positive impact on me,” Campbell said. He eventually became a starter in the defensive secondary and recorded several interceptions.

The Shelbyville High School pool was not completed until 1968, but Campbell had spent his childhood developing strong swimming skills through programs sponsored by the Elks Club.

“Mom and Dad spent a tremendous amount of time and effort making sure I had those opportunities,” he said.

The years of diligence and training paid dividends as Campbell found success and established several SHS swimming records, humorously acknowledging, “I set records in everything I swam because the school hadn’t had a pool before. That was easy.”

Even so, Campbell was an outstanding multi-event swimmer who set a breaststroke record that stood for many years.

Campbell developed an early passion for baseball as well.

“I played baseball under the lights at Kennedy Park when I was 12,” he recalled. “That really inspired me. That experience has always stayed with me and is one reason I have always had a connection to Kennedy Park.”

He played shortstop and occasionally pitched for Shelbyville baseball teams during the 1968 and 1969 seasons. The 1968 team featured additional standouts such as Terry Moore, Billy Horner, Mike Ross, and Mike Wagner and captured the South Central Conference championship.

Campbell (photo) then transitioned to men’s softball where he became one of the area’s premier players with some exceptional teams. Men’s softball at Kennedy Park became a popular Shelbyville entertainment venue during the 1960s with leagues featuring four games a night, five days a week and often tournaments on the weekends.

“Mom and Dad would take us out to Kennedy for an evening of softball on summer nights,” said Campbell. Kennedy Park served as a point of social interaction during that period with concessions, an ice cream truck, and a public address announcer.

Campbell started playing for the First Christian Church team while still in high school and later for Drake’s Electric.

Shelco Beverage coach Jack Judge then recruited him. Shelco enjoyed considerable success. The pinnacle of its achievement was the team’s championship in the high profile 64-team WNAP Radio tournament at Indianapolis’ Bush Stadium in 1974.

“That was a definite thrill. They restructured the diamond at Bush Stadium to accommodate softball just for that tournament,” said Campbell. “It was a big deal.”

Campbell’s softball success continued through the years with later stints with Thieman’s and Roger New Construction as well as with a variety of other pick-up teams.

“I played all the time during those years,” he said.

Bruce later found additional success playing in the age 50-and-over senior division, winning national championships in Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas.

The Shelbyville native (photo, with wife Ana Campbell) worked several jobs following his 1969 high school graduation, including painting and at the local IPC (now Freudenberg) plant. He then moved into the banking sector for four years.

“Bob Leming offered me a job at Shelby National Bank,” said Campbell. “That was the best job. The bank provided a family atmosphere and that is where I learned about business. I learned how to talk to people; how to respect money and I developed business skills. The experience at Shelby National Bank was very important.”

Campbell ventured into the tire business in 1980 when he bought Watson Tire which was located on road 421 in 1980. He later moved the Campbell Tire brand to Miller Avenue before leaving the tire business for a few years. He established Campbell Tire at its current location in 1993.

“We have grown and expanded over time,” explained Campbell. “The industry has changed a great deal in the past twenty years with more government regulations and new technology.”

He relates that son Brady’s contributions since joining Campbell Tire following his graduation from Purdue in 2000 have been monumental.

“His generation grew up with that developing technology and he came to work at a time when that was really impacting our business,” said Bruce. “He has provided that necessary modern element and that has been vital.”

Brady also managed the bulk of the administrative work during the recent transfer of the business.

“I began assuming more of that responsibility in recent years, so it was relatively easy to handle it during the change over,” said Brady.

Bruce credits Blue River Vocational School with providing him high quality employees such as Sprague and other current staff members Colin Logsdon and Damon Snyder who will continue working under the new ownership.

Campbell always resisted temptations to move into other employment because he confesses to having an independent spirit that is conducive to entrepreneurship.

“I wanted to have the freedom that comes with being my own boss,” declared Bruce, “understanding that that also has its drawbacks. But I was able to work my schedule to be able to dedicate time to the Babe Ruth baseball board for several years and to serve as an assistant SHS baseball coach for nine years. I even helped with the high school swim program for a year. I could most likely never have done that working for someone else, but I would never trade being able to have done those things.”

One of Campbell Tire’s undeniable strengths is that it offers a familial environment. The former owner credits an appreciation for that family dynamic to his mother and father. Max and Louise Campbell were Rush County natives who raised children Bruce, Joy (Abel), Mark and Jill (Stieneker) in the Shelbyville community.

Louise held secretarial and administrative positions at her church and in local government. She was elected Addison Township Assessor in 1970. Max had a 35-year career as a sales representative for General Foods Corporation.

“Mom was so involved and was always working to do things for her children and other kids as well, whether it was Cub Scouts, Pearson PTO or a wide variety of other youth activities,” said Bruce. He says that even today people will approach him to express thanks for his mother’s kindness and influence.

Max Campbell historically ranks as one of Shelbyville’s greatest bowlers. Bruce regards regularly bowling with his father in local leagues as one of his most satisfying experiences.

“Those 20 years bowling with Dad were the absolute best,” said Campbell. “I will always treasure those times.”

Max Campbell passed away in 2022; Louise died in June. Both were 94.

“They had the greatest influence on me,” said Campbell. “Any positive things I have been able to accomplish and any help I have been able to give others is due to what they taught me.”

Campbell is extremely grateful for his wife Ana (Yarling) and her support through their 51 years of marriage. He remains forever dedicated and committed to son Brady, daughter Natalie Lux and their families as well.

Brady (photo, left, with Tony Sprague) has no definitive immediate post-Campbell Tire plans. He will initially offer support to the Sprague team for a few months. He and Bruce are also looking into potential future projects.

“It will be nice to have some extra time with my wife and children as well,” Brady said.

He expresses genuine pride in the Campbell Tire legacy as he moves from that chapter.

“The fact that Tony is keeping the name is the ultimate compliment,” said Brady.

There was a basic formula to the Campbell Tire success story: friends became customers and customers became friends.

Sprague is excited and optimistic about Campbell Tire and its future and is thankful to have the ongoing support and input of Bruce and Brady as he moves forward.

“I want Tony to look at me two years from now and say, ‘Bruce, I am so glad I did this,’” said Bruce.

Sprague quickly responded: “I’m glad now.”  

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