Archive >> Central >> November/December 2007 >> Articles >> Central Chamber President: Retiree Lucky Ross Central's Busiest Man
06/Dec/2007
Central Chamber President Retiree Lucky Ross is Central’s Busiest Man!
Although he’s actually retired, Central Chamber of Commerce President Lucky Ross has to be one of the busiest people in Central!
“Back in 1992 I retired from Bridgestone-Firestone Tire and Rubber Company,” he said. “Right after that we opened Ross Tire and Car Care Center with a partner, but since 2002 I have been sole owner of the business.”
Ross and his wife Juanita are from Alexandria and Bunkie respectively. They moved to Central in 1970 when they transferred to Baton Rouge with Firestone.
“We decided to move to Central instead of Baton Rouge because Central felt more like
home,” he said. “Our greatest fear was that they would move us to New Orleans because we’re just basically small town people. That’s why we have always loved living in Central.”
Ross’ introduction to the Central Chamber occurred when friends invited him to attend a Central Area Business Association (CABA) meeting more than 10 years ago. “My attendance and my involvement were spotty until 2003,” he said. “Somehow I must have missed a meeting or something because suddenly I became CABA’s treasurer.”
In those days Central began to grow rapidly. His business is located near Greenwell Springs and Sullivan Roads, so Ross was interested in helping Central thrive from an economic standpoint. “First we became involved with the Prayer Breakfast, then it was the Christmas Parade, and then people in Central started to become concerned about our community getting its fair share of the revenue coming out here,” he said. “Suddenly people began to get excited about Central.”
Despite having to spend a lot of time away from his business doing Central Chamber business, Ross said business at Ross Tire and Car Care is pretty good. “I don’t worry about it because I have always felt that if you have good people who are doing a good job you should leave them alone,” he said. “If you leave your business and it all falls apart that’s your fault because you set it up wrong.”
“Plank Road was a relatively small store and I knew every customer and every tire in the place. We went from the bottom to the top in 12 months,” he said. Soon he was promoted to head the Cortana Mall store. He went from 12 to 24 employees and from 600 work tickets a month to 1300 or 1400.
“That was when I had to learn how to train people so they could help me,” he said. “It’s the same thing with the Chamber. The time when we could run it like CABA ran is gone. There are too many opportunities out there. It just can’t be a one man show any longer.”
Ross explained that with 16 very active committees things really are popping. “We have increased the number of committees in 2007 and in 2008 there will be even more. Right now we have a Christmas Committee meeting and planning that has 22 people on it.”
Lots of people have to become involved if things are going to get done, according to Ross. “You just have to ask for their help,” he said. “They think they don’t have anything to offer, but if you just give them a little push pretty soon you will find they have a whole lot to offer.”
That from a man who woke up one day a few years ago and discovered that he had been named CABA’s brand new treasurer...
Although he’s actually retired, Central Chamber of Commerce President Lucky Ross has to be one of the busiest people in Central! “Back in 1992 I retired from Bridgestone-Firestone Tire and Rubber Company,” he said. “Right after that we opened Ross Tire and Car Care Center with a partner, but since 2002 I have been sole owner of the business.”
Ross and his wife Juanita are from Alexandria and Bunkie respectively. They moved to Central in 1970 when they transferred to Baton Rouge with Firestone.
“We decided to move to Central instead of Baton Rouge because Central felt more like
home,” he said. “Our greatest fear was that they would move us to New Orleans because we’re just basically small town people. That’s why we have always loved living in Central.”
Ross’ introduction to the Central Chamber occurred when friends invited him to attend a Central Area Business Association (CABA) meeting more than 10 years ago. “My attendance and my involvement were spotty until 2003,” he said. “Somehow I must have missed a meeting or something because suddenly I became CABA’s treasurer.”
In those days Central began to grow rapidly. His business is located near Greenwell Springs and Sullivan Roads, so Ross was interested in helping Central thrive from an economic standpoint. “First we became involved with the Prayer Breakfast, then it was the Christmas Parade, and then people in Central started to become concerned about our community getting its fair share of the revenue coming out here,” he said. “Suddenly people began to get excited about Central.”
Despite having to spend a lot of time away from his business doing Central Chamber business, Ross said business at Ross Tire and Car Care is pretty good. “I don’t worry about it because I have always felt that if you have good people who are doing a good job you should leave them alone,” he said. “If you leave your business and it all falls apart that’s your fault because you set it up wrong.”
Ross said he learned those lessons when he came to Baton Rouge to run Plank Road Firestone and discovered that one man cannot possibly do it all.
“Plank Road was a relatively small store and I knew every customer and every tire in the place. We went from the bottom to the top in 12 months,” he said. Soon he was promoted to head the Cortana Mall store. He went from 12 to 24 employees and from 600 work tickets a month to 1300 or 1400.
“That was when I had to learn how to train people so they could help me,” he said. “It’s the same thing with the Chamber. The time when we could run it like CABA ran is gone. There are too many opportunities out there. It just can’t be a one man show any longer.”
Ross explained that with 16 very active committees things really are popping. “We have increased the number of committees in 2007 and in 2008 there will be even more. Right now we have a Christmas Committee meeting and planning that has 22 people on it.”
Lots of people have to become involved if things are going to get done, according to Ross. “You just have to ask for their help,” he said. “They think they don’t have anything to offer, but if you just give them a little push pretty soon you will find they have a whole lot to offer.”
That from a man who woke up one day a few years ago and discovered that he had been named CABA’s brand new treasurer...
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