LOUISVILLE, Ky. — There's been a lot of talk about how prices at the pump are really starting to hurt drivers because of the Russia oil ban, but a west Louisville tire store owner said soon, he'll have to start raising prices too.
That's because oil is one of the main materials used to make rubber tires and a lot of other supplies needed for standard vehicle maintenance.
Rick Embry has owned Rick's Tires for more than a decade.
Because of the oil ban, the small business owner's well of cash is starting to dry up.
"Everything as far as tire repairs had their prices go up," Embry said. "Fluids, transmission fluids, oils, the tires itself - everything is going up and the customers are slowing down."
Rick said he's tried everything he can think of to keep prices down, including laying an employee off and moving two others to part-time shifts, but now he is left with no choice.
"We have really stretched it almost as thin as we can stretch it," Embry said. "Prices are going to keep going up and we're going to eventually have to raise some prices on some things, which I don't want to do."
James Morris is head mechanic at Rick's Tires.
Morris said having to raise prices is tough because he knows how much it'll hurt their customers.
"Somebody needs to do something to fix this because this is a real crisis right here," Morris said.
While those at Rick's Tires are hopeful some sort of relief will come soon, they are also realists and don't see an end in sight to these price hikes on supplies.
"I don't see anything that makes me feel like the prices are going to stabilize or drop," Embry said. "It just looks like the prices are going to keep going up."
If you need work done on your car in the next week or two, such as getting an oil change or your tires replaced, Embry suggests heading to the shop now before prices go up even more.
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