Fourth generation owners lean on tradition to lead Currie’s Tires to 95 years

The business has survived plenty, including the Great Depression and the 1970s gas shortage.

Marissa Alter

Apr 15, 2024, 9:52 PM

Updated 241 days ago

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It's rare for a mom-and-pop business to survive for decades, but one in Norwalk is now celebrating 95 years. Perhaps more remarkable is its location: West Avenue. The area has seen a transformation over the years, including a new skyline. But amidst the growth and tall buildings, Currie’s Tires has stayed grounded, thanks to its roots.
“I've had many people who moved out of the area 20, 30 years ago and come back and say they had no idea where they were until they saw Currie’s,” said Tim Currie, who owns the business with his brother, Adam Currie.
They’re the fourth generation to run it.
“It started in 1929 by my great-grandfather Duke Currie, and since then, it's been from Duke to Lenny, my grandfather, to Tim, my father, and now me and Adam,” Tim Currie explained.
“It's been in my blood forever. This is a home away from home for us,” Adam Currie added.
Both brothers grew up around the shop, watching their father and grandfather and working there when they were young.
“It was almost always larger than life, you know, to watch these guys,” recalled Tim Currie.
“I first learned to do tires and some mechanic work I think when I was 12 years old coming to work with my dad,” Adam Currie remembered.
Currie’s Tires wasn't always just tires and auto repairs. Duke Currie started it as a 24-7 truck stop and gas station.
“And it quickly became the largest truck stop on the East Coast, being that he was the only truck stop between New York and Massachusetts,” Tim Currie said.
The business has survived plenty, including the Great Depression and the 1970s gas shortage. And though the pumps are now gone, the tradition isn't. Walk into Currie's Tires, and its history is everywhere. Pictures from the past cover the walls.
“It's kind of like going back in time. It's like going to a diner that is, you know, based back in the 40s or 50s. It's that nostalgic vibe,” Adam Currie told News 12.
“When Duke bought this property in 1929, it was a house and a carriage house in the back. Him and his father actually with their bare hands, took parts of the house down and added parts in the front,” Tim Currie explained.
But beyond the photographs and the remaining original structure, it’s the culture at Currie’s Tire’s that pays homage to the past.
“I never had the pleasure of meeting Duke, but my father always said that Duke had a saying, ‘If you offer people a good product and good service at a fair price, you'll be in business forever.’” Tim Currie said.
“It's a huge comfort to people just to know the old school values, the old ways are still alive, even just for a little period of time here,” said Adam Currie.
The brothers think that's been the key to their success - keeping customers, despite changing times, all by staying true to their family’s original mission.
“We have some four generation customers, just like we're four generations of Curries here,” Tim Currie said.
“They take care of us the same way we take care of them,” Adam Currie added. “It’s all about family here. Hopefully, it will always be that way for the next generations to come.”