Bob Bissler

Senior Editor

Bob Bissler is Modern Tire Dealer's senior editor. He began his interest in the automotive industry as a teenager helping his brother work on drag race cars, and after high school he worked in his other brother's body shop.

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Mike Manges

Senior Editor

Mike Manges is Modern Tire Dealer's senior editor. He is a three-time International Automotive Media Association award winner and holds a Gold Award from the Association of Automotive Publication Editors. He also edits MTD's acclaimed Commercial Tire Dealer section, as well as The Kovach Tire Report, MTD's sister publication. Mike has traveled the world -- including Asia, Europe and North America -- in pursuit of stories.

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ATD targets New England market, major upheaval will follow

By: Mike Manges

American Tire Distributors Inc.'s (ATD) expansion into New England, set to begin in 2011, could very well be the biggest story of the year.

Yesterday, ATD revealed that it will begin operating facilities throughout New England, already one of the country's most hyper-competitive markets, next year. (For more, see ATD targets New England for expansion in 2011.)

New England is the only major U.S. region where ATD does not have a presence. It also is home to some of the country's largest, most well-established independent tire wholesale distributors, including Max Finkelstein Inc., Englewood Tire Wholesalers, Sullivan Tire Co. Inc., Summit Tires of Massachusetts and others.

You can bet your bottom dollar that ATD wants to take their business, and by ATD's own admission, some of their managers, salespeople and other employees. ATD's official statement to this effect, buried in yesterday's news release, was, "While the company generally fills new positions within the organization, it will be aggressively recruiting local talent."

The key word is "aggressively." That's how ATD tackles all of the markets it enters -- hard, and with checkbook in hand. I expect ATD to announce some major acquisitions in New England next year. In fact, you can take that to the bank. ATD has deep pockets and will try to convince long-time owners that there has never been a better time to cash in their chips. Given the state of the economy, ATD may be right!

It's going to be a tumultuous 2011 in the northeast, and when the smoke clears, the market will look radically (and irreversibly) different than it does today. Remember, you read it here first!

Related Topics: American Tire Distributors, Wholesaling

comments

1. Spencer | October 13, 2010 at 12:34PM
   ATD's expansion into New England was a matter of when, not if and as an independent, stocking fewer and fewer tires, I welcome another supply point....So glad I won't be competing against this 800lb gorilla though!