Chuck Trombold didn’t start his career as a mobile tool distributor. Before joining the Mac Tools team, Trombold was a corporate environmental health and safety executive in the industrial waste, recycling, and disposal business sector. After being let go, he was at a bit of loss for what he wanted to do with the rest of his life, so he called his called his brother-in-law, Chris Carlson — a Mac Tools distributor.
Trombold figured he could lend Carlson a hand while figuring out his next steps. He started riding along with the distributor and two weeks later decided he wanted to stay and help for as long as possible.
To that, Carlson responded, “I’m not looking for somebody to help me. I’m looking for somebody to buy me out. I want to retire.”
The transition of Carlson’s route to Trombold happened in two phases: after three months of riding along with Carlson, Trombold took over the first half of his route. Carlson stayed for another year after that until Trombold was ready to take over the second half.
A division of labor
During his time with his brother-in-law, Trombold saw all the hard work and effort Carlson put in — getting up at 4 a.m. to load his truck, seeing his customers by 6 or 6:30, ordering new products, receiving freight, and taking care of his customers all at once — and understood why Carlson was ready to retire after over 38 years with Mac Tools.
“[Chris] has such a strong work ethic,” Trombold says, “but all that I saw were these are opportunities for burnout.”
Just a few months into working with the distributor, Trombold knew that if he was going to do this, he had to ensure his eldest son, Thomas Trombold, would do it with him. He started making some notes on the pain points of being a distributor and what he could do to lighten the load.
Now, Chuck Trombold has three trucks, each high volume and high sales, with their own routes running through Midland and Odessa, Texas. To help prevent the potential of becoming overworked, Chuck Trombold notes that he’s done a lot more division of labor than most distributors.
“Each truck has two people on the truck,” he explains. “So, one person is on the computer, the other is selling and looking for stuff, so the customers can get on and off quickly. Then, coupled with that, we have two inventory people who basically receive inventory and get it ready for each of the trucks for the next day.”
Additionally, Chuck Trombold has another employee who handles all the broken and in need of repair tools by shipping them out and tracking their progress. All this put together, Trombold notes, helps keep the business going at a heavy pace.
All in the family
When Chuck Trombold initially took over Carlson’s route, he decided the best way to maximize the route’s success would be to cut it in half. Between splitting the route in two and his desire to keep burnout at bay, he began putting his team together. Chuck Trombold first looked to his sons – Thomas Trombold, Joshua Trombold, and Noah Trombold. And when the success of the first two routes led to Chuck Trombold taking over another distributor’s route in the area, one of his sons’ wives joined the team, as well as some of his son’s friends.
Currently, Brandon Akers and Kenton Terry run the first truck, Thomas Trombold and Noah Trombold run the second truck, and Tolan Feagin runs the third. Joshua Trombold is the inventory manager, and Travis Lubbeck, the inventory associate. Lubbeck will also sometimes ride with Feagin, but his main focus is inventory. Terri Trombold is the manager of all tool repairs.
As for Chuck Trombold himself, he stepped away from running a truck last March after having hip replacement surgery. Though now he only makes it out to Midland for one week a month, he stays busy learning everything he can about the industry by attending tool fairs and other Mac Tools events. He wants to stay on top of the latest tools and equipment.
“I want to learn what's out there, because I was brought up as a guy who got his degrees in chemistry and business administration,” Chuck Trombold says. “I wasn't a tool guy.”
The ‘Legacy Award’
In his seven years with Mac Tools, Chuck Trombold has had the opportunity to work with many members of his family. He understands just how crucial family involvement can be in this business, so he and Carlson worked with Mac Tools to create the ‘Legacy Award.’ The award is meant to incentivize and recognize excellent family businesses. The 2026 Mac Tool Fair will be the first time the award is presented.
Looking ahead, Chuck Trombold plans to eventually pass the business on to his sons. In the meantime though, he says that “I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve done in the past seven years, and I’ll probably keep doing it as long as I think it’s fun.”
About the Author
Emily Markham
Editor | PTEN and Professional Distributor
Emily Markham is the editor of Professional Tool & Equipment News (PTEN) and Professional Distributor magazines. She has been writing about the automotive aftermarket since 2019, after graduating from UW-La Crosse with a bachelor's degree in English. During her first three years with EndeavorB2B's Vehicle Service & Repair Group, Markham also wrote for Fleet Maintenance magazine.
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