Suddenly jobless workers collect final paychecks

One by one they shuffled through the front door of the Bruce Scher's Goodyear repair shop on Western Avenue In Las Vegas. On the Friday before Christmas when most Las Vegas Valley workers were preparing to celebrate a joyous holiday in four days, Friday was time for 81 recently laid-off tire and car employees to pick up their last paychecks.

The 13-store chain closed suddenly Monday. On Friday, the men who repair flat tires, change oil and fix engines at Bruce Scher's locations emerged solemnly from the Western Avenue repair shop with their final checks, lit cigarettes and exchanged handshakes in the parking lot. They parted ways with glum looks and just enough money to make it through another week or so.

The names behind the numbers were Rafael Araiza, who came with daughters, Isabella, 2, and Daisy, 4. He worked at the Bruce Scher's on West Centennial Parkway in North Las Vegas. There were Kevin Durbin, 32; Scott Hulse, 37; and Brandon Gloeckner, 33, who all worked together at the Bruce Scher's on Craig Road in Las Vegas. And Bobby Waltz, 51, worked at the shop on South Rainbow Boulevard.

"It's a big shock. I was with the company almost five years. I started as a tire guy and was in a transition to becoming mechanic," said Araiza, who already filed for unemployment. He will draw $320 a week to support a girlfriend and five children.

"When I heard about it, I couldn't believe it," Araiza said.

Gloeckner was more blunt: "This sucks right before Christmas."

Durbin said he realized he lost his job when his supervisor called him up Monday morning and informed him that he broke his key in a lock that had already been changed.

"He thought it was just stuck," Durbin said. "That's when I got the bad news that we're closed."

Waltz said he will start looking for work in another car shop after Christmas. Waltz said he will receive $402 in unemployment, but he noted a big chunk will go to child support.

"Now what?" he said between drags on his cigarette.

The 13 Bruce Scher's Goodyear stores closed because of the death of the namesake of the business earlier this month, Bill Walls, area manager, said earlier this week.

Bruce Scher, born and raised in Santa Ana, Calif., was a car mechanic who opened his first auto repair shop at age 25 in Artesia, Calif., with his life savings and money he received from selling a rare coin collection. He was 56 when he died, Walls said.

Scher also owned a 17-unit car repair chain in Southern California called Scher Tire Inc., which will not close. Beyond car shops, Scher operated a Murietta, Calif., vineyard where he bottled cabernet sauvignon under the Ville La Cresta label and had 40 acres of avocado trees surrounding his home.

Waltz recalled that after Scher died this month, a manager told him, "It will be business as usual."

Not so.

Now the laid-off workers have heard reports about businessmen who were interested in buying the Bruce Scher's Goodyear assets in Las Vegas. Indeed, a Wells Fargo banker contacted a reporter about the store closings because she said a client was interested in evaluating the business possibility of buying the stores.

A Los Angeles private equity company also contacted the owners of Bruce Scher's Goodyear in hopes of restructuring and potentially reopening the operation. Bobby Khorshido, principal of Partners Capital Management, said he emailed the Bruce Scher's owners, but has not received a response.

"I'm interested in looking at the financials and the investment opportunity to restructure the business and keep the jobs," Khorshidi said Friday. "Why not file for bankruptcy? There's more to this."

Rich Warburton, company vice president in Riverside, Calif., said he has heard from 50 brokers as he markets the 13 closed Las Vegas Valley stores to other Goodyear dealers in hopes of keeping the brand presence in the Las Vegas market. He said he wants to keep the 13 units together as a package deal.

Meanwhile, laid-off workers could only say goodbye to one another after collecting their final paychecks.

Tim Dunn, a laid-off store manager, lamented that his final check didn't include $1,600 for vacation and a bonus that he said was promised.

"I'm in a downward spiral," Dunn said. "Now, I'm an unemployed bum."

Contact reporter Alan Snel at asnel@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5273.