The following statement is from Recycling Council of British Columbia (RCBC) CEO Brock Macdonald regarding the recent passing of Kal Tire founder Tom Foord.
It is with much sadness that the staff at RCBC heard that Kal Tire founder Tom Foord passed away on April 12th at his home in Vernon, B.C. at the age of 89.
Mr. Foord was a veteran who served his country and was a B.C. business pioneer and leader whose legacy will long be remembered.
Tom Foord was born on May 8, 1922 in Instow, Saskatchewan, the oldest of seven children. He met his wife Norah while both were stationed in Newfoundland with the Royal Canadian Air Force during WWII. They returned to her home town of Vernon after being married in 1944.
Tom Foord founded Kal Tire with partner Jim Locheed in 1953. The company is now Canada's largest independent tire dealer, with four thousand employees and 240 locations across the country. The company’s business activities stretch across the globe to Chile, the United Kingdom, and even the Suez Canal.
No matter where his business led him, Mr. Foord said that he couldn't imagine a better place to headquarter his company than Vernon, B.C. In 2000, he was named to the Order of British Columbia and he remained the company's president and CEO until a few years ago before turning it over to his son Robert.
RCBC would like to express condolences to the Foord family and his extended family at Kal Tire in their time of loss.