12 December 2012 Edition - Fiddlehead Focus

Dan the Tire Man comes to Madawaska
By Jenna Beaulieu
MADAWASKA - A new
business opened up on Main
Street in Madawaska and has
recently popped up on the radar
for many locals due to a larger
roadside sign. Dan Marsh, formerly
of Julian, California owns
and operates Dan the Tire Man,
a tire sales and installation garage
located off 14th Avenue.
The business opened in mid-
October and Marsh is excited to
offer his 30-plus years of tire
industry experience to his community.
Prior to moving to Madawaska,
Marsh lived in Alaska
and California. According to
Marsh, he was inspired to move
to northern Maine because of
the availability of affordable
land.
Marsh and his family purchased
acreage in Grand Isle
and a 14th Ave residence in
Madawaska, where Dan the Tire
Man garage is located. Marsh
purchased the acreage in Grand
Isle on eBay because he wanted
to own land somewhere.
“Sell your land on eBay,” said
Marsh. “People like us want
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affordable land in a nice area and
there’s so much of it here.”
Their intent to move to the area
was strengthened after they visited
the St. John Valley.
“A town has to look good for
people to move there,” said Marsh.
According to Marsh, one of their
primary reasons for moving to
Madawaska was because of the
great schools.
Marsh said, “We were at a point
in our lives in California where we
didn’t feel like we were connected
to anything, that we needed to stay
around.”
He said, “We just thought ‘let’s
do it.’”
Marsh and his wife Katie, along
with their two young daughters,
two dogs and two bearded dragons,
packed up 1,400 square feet
worth of their possessions into a
26-foot box truck and drove over a
period of 13 days to their new 900
square foot home in northern
Maine.
Marsh operates the tire business
in a garage that is off Main Street
on the north end of 14th Ave. He
performs all tire sales, installation,
and relative bookkeeping himself.
Customers that purchase tires from
Dan are offered free tire rotation
and free flat repairs for the life of
the tire.
“Everyone’s been telling me the
prices are really good,” said
Marsh.
In addition to tire sales and installation,
Marsh and his wife
Katie also work in the export business.
Marsh said, “My main focus
now is export of tires, scrap tires,
coal and metal. The tire business
keeps me busy when the export
stuff isn’t busy.”
According to Marsh, he only
exports American-made products
and he does not import goods.
Regarding the process for starting
a business in Madawaska,
Marsh said, “It was very simple
and very easy to open a business
when working with the town.
Even getting the sign reviewed
was simple.”
He continued, “Everybody here
has been warm and receptive to
new business.”
While tire-change season is
slowing down, Marsh has still
been pulling in business, including
tire sales to Police Chief Carroll
Theriault for a police vehicle.
Both of Marsh’s two daughters
attend Madawaska Elementary
School and Katie, a writer of two
books, is considering starting a
yoga class and spin class in the
area.
Page 9
Fiddlehead Focus, December 12, 2012
WELCOMING A NEW BUSINESS – Dan Marsh, formerly of Julian,
California, recently opened a tire sales and installation business called
Dan the Tire Man on Main Street in Madawaska. Marsh moved to the
area to purchase affordable land and enroll his two young daughters in a
good school. Entry to the garage is available off the north end of 14th
Ave. - Jenna Beaulieu image