Pomp’s Tire Service Inc. has bought 19 GCR Tires & Service (GCR) stores in nine states from Bridgestone Americas Inc.
In a joint press release, the companies said the purchase of these locations will allow Pomp’s to serve more customers in markets where it currently operates, as well as expand the Pomp’s footprint to include new geographic regions.
“Our mission is to provide customers with best-in-class tires and service,” said Jim Wochinske, CEO of Pomp’s. “This means we need a strong network of service locations that are staffed by long-tenured tire experts. The purchase of these GCR locations allows us to expand our footprint in the Midwest, while also bringing more knowledge and expertise to our team, which is truly the biggest advantage of this transaction.”
The GCR stores purchased by Pomp’s are in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The locations currently serve customers in the commercial trucking, passenger and light truck, off-the-road and agriculture industries.
“At Bridgestone, we are focused on implementing strategies to secure commercial distribution to ensure we are meeting the needs of fleet customers across our company-owned GCR stores and the independent dealer channel,” said Scott Damon, group president, operations, Bridgestone Americas. “Partnering with Pomp’s allows us to further strengthen our commercial tire distribution network and position our brands and fleet solutions for growth as we enter 2020.”
Bridgestone will continue to operate more than 70 GCR stores across the U.S. and Canada. The company said GCR remains an integral part of its commercial distribution strategy.
The GCR acquisition gives Pomp’s 127 commercial truck tire service locations. The company also operates 17 retread plants and four wholesale locations.
Pomp's holds the No. 5 spot on the list of the largest independent commercial tire dealers in the country. The company is at No. 4 on the top retreaders list, and at No. 11 on the Modern Tire Dealer 100 list of the nation’s largest independent tire dealers.
