Mark Rhodes and Scott Rhodes, the second generation brothers who own Plaza Tire Service Inc., are the winners of Modern Tire Dealer’s 2017 Tire Dealer of the Year Award. Mark and Scott, the president and vice president of the 62-store business with its headquarters in Cape Girardeau, Mo., are the first pair of brothers to win the award in its 25-year history.
Together they oversee a fast-growing tire enterprise. Plaza Tire operates 62 retail stores in Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois and Kentucky, and those stores generate an estimated $80 million in sales.
Since 2004, when the Rhodes brothers purchased the business from their father, Vernon “Pee Wee” Rhodes, they’ve added 25 stores. They manage their inventory from a single warehouse in Cape Girardeau, and each store carries at least 1,000 tires in stock every day. The company makes it a priority to serve customers quickly, and that requires having inventory on hand when customers walk in the door. In early 2017 Plaza Tire initiated a new promise to customers: “four tires in one hour, guaranteed.”
“Mark and Scott have established themselves as true leaders in the tire industry,” says Greg Smith, publisher of Modern Tire Dealer. “They have stayed true to their father’s motto of promoting and protecting the Plaza Tire brand which has resulted in amazing growth for the company.”
A $13,000 donation from Modern Tire Dealer and Plaza Tire’s suppliers will be made in the Rhodes brothers’ names. The donation will be split between two charities: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri and Hope Children’s Home in Jackson, Mo. The participating suppliers are: Advance Auto Parts Inc.; Bartec USA LLC; Bridgestone Affiliated Retailer Nationwide Network; Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.; Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels; Falken Tire Corp.; First State Community Bank; Hankook Tire America Corp.; Hunter Engineering Co.; Mam Software Inc.; Michelin North America Inc.; Mighty Distributing System of America Inc.; Mohawk Rubber Sales; Myers Tire Supply Co.; National Automotive Parts Association (NAPA); Nokian Tyres Inc.; Rubber Inc.; Sailun Jinyu International; Sentury Tire Americas; Sure Tire Co.; Tire Alliance Groupe; Valvoline LLC ; Vee Rubber America Inc.; and Yokohama Tire Corp.
This is the 25th year Modern Tire Dealer has presented its Tire Dealer of the Year Award. Mark Rhodes and Scott Rhodes join a list of tire industry icons who have won the award, including Bruce Halle, chairman of the largest tire dealership in the U.S., which does business as Discount Tire and America’s Tire. Last year’s winner, Alpio Barbara, owns and operates Redwood General Tire Service Co., a single store in Redwood City, Calif.
Read MTD’s cover story on the Rhodes brothers here, and check out the digital edition of our September 2017 issue.
Share your congratulations with Mark Rhodes and Scott Rhodes and the Plaza Tire team on social media using the hashtag #TDOY.
