In addition, there are two independent Car-X Tire & Auto franchises, with 46 outlets combined; eight Big O franchises with 178 stores among them; and three affiliated with TCi’s T3 program, comprising 60 outlets. Car-X franchisor Monro Inc. also operates 53 Car-X outlets as corporate-held franchises.
Two dealerships — Express Tire Auto Service Center, San Diego; and Stratham Tire Inc., Brentwood, N.H. — have female top executives, Greta Waggoner and Denise Littlefield, respectively. Plus, Charlayne Ratté is co-owner of Pneus Ratté, a Point S affiliated dealership in Quebec City, Quebec.
Looking at the market geographically, Bridgestone Americas’ retail network — Firestone Complete Car Care, Tires Plus and Wheel Works — is the most prevalent, with a presence in all 10 of the regional areas profiled by Tire Business, including being the largest in five regions: Southeast, Upper Midwest, Southeast Central, Southwest Central and Northwest Central.
TBC Retail shows up in six of the 10 regions with its Merchant’s Tire, National Tire & Battery and Tire Kingdom brands, and also is No. 1 in the Mountain region via its Big O Tires franchise network.
Discount Tire/America’s Tire, No. 1 nationally with 1,000 outlets, has a presence in seven of the 10 regions, however it is not No. 1 in any one of them.
Monro is present in six regions, including being No. 1 in New England and the South Atlantic.
American Tire Distributors Inc.’s Tires Pros network doesn’t have a single dealer among the Top 100, but collectively Tire Pros dealers are among the largest dealer groups in eight of the 10 regions.
