Every Tuesday and Thursday morning, Best-One company employees can dial-in for a call.
“Well, good morning, Best-One family,” the call began. “Today is Tuesday, September 16, 2025, and this is Sue Zurcher, your prayer call host and leader today.”
The week prior, Michael Pearson, managing partner and founding member of Best-One Tire and Service of Upland, led the prayer call. He believes a company and group of people seeking God’s will in their daily lives — at the occupation business level — is significant.
He has felt and seen the effects of prayer over his business throughout its operation.
As Best-One Upland Tire and Service has navigated the challenges of Main Street’s construction, he has asked himself, “Am I in God’s will?”
About 30 years ago, Pearson prayed to God for a sign.
He hadn’t expected a literal sign reading: FOR SALE.
The year was 1995. Pearson hadn’t become the managing partner and founding member of Best-One Tire and Service of Upland yet. Upland didn’t even have an auto care or repair shop.
Pearson and his wife, Marti, ran a repair business on the family farm. Yet, when former dean at Taylor Tom Beers encouraged them to move their repair business to Upland, Pearson began dreaming.
Yet, establishing a business in a small town posed a few challenges. Would the community accept outsiders, and would Pearson be able to find good technicians? Additionally, the Pearsons knew running a business would take a lot of money, money they didn’t have as a young married couple with kids, he said.
Still, he wanted to see if starting a business in Upland was possible.
One July night in 1995, Beers, Pearson and another friend drove around town, looking for property. As they drove, Pearson remembered thinking: This is becoming serious. This is planning, not dreaming.
He had a young family and he didn’t want to take them in the wrong direction, he said. The thought brought him to pray.
“I need a sign,” he said. “Just help me. Is this the right thing to do — is this what I need to be doing?”
Nothing came of their search. The next morning, Pearson revisited where they left off the night before. As he drove he saw a FOR SALE sign in the window of the old crane.
“That's my sign,” he said.
A literal FOR SALE sign was there but wasn’t there the night before.
The Pearsons followed through, bought the property and formed a corporation of owners in 1995. The 1995 partners included several Taylor University connections: Best-One Tire Founder Paul Zurcher, Tom Beers, Walt Campbell and Jay Kesler. Pearson’s father also contributed.
They built Upland Tire and Service in 1996. The business then changed to a common brand, Best-One Tire in 1999.
Once their business started, the Pearsons still wondered whether they were in God’s will. At a Christian retreat, they met a new group of people. Being prompted to share prayer requests, Pearson said they needed prayer for their business, to make sure they were doing the right thing and were in God’s will.
Decades later, the same group prays over the Pearsons’ business.
Pearson said being in God’s will is the million-dollar question.
“That's a daily thing — kind of yielding to self, seeking God's will and saying, ‘What are we doing here?’” he said.
As he questioned his motives and asked for prayer, he said the goal is to give back to the community. A great working culture benefits people and their families, Pearson said. And many people are being impacted by Best-One.
When they started, Pearson said they were Best-One Tire store number 178. Now, there are 323 Best-One Tire locations in 27 states.
Those are all workers who can dial-in for the Best-One Tire prayer call.
In Sue Zurcher’s September 16’s prayer call, she pointed to Mark 10:42-44 which says to those who want to be leaders, first must be servants. Whoever wants to be first must be a slave.
“In a quiet way,” Zurcher said, “We are testifying to the love of Christ… Best-One family, drive carefully and have a splendid day in the Lord. Love you all. Bye, bye.”
