Felix Canestri has moved from one top-10 tire dealer to another. Canestri has joined Belle Tire Distributors Inc. as director of procurement. He joins Belle Tire, the No. 9 dealer on the Modern Tire Dealer 100, after spending 15 years at Tire Discounters Inc., most recently serving as vice president of purchasing. Tire Discounters is tied for No. 7 on the list of largest independent tire dealers in the U.S.
“I’ve admired the Belle Tire brand and team for many years,” says Canestri. “I am excited to join the team. The growth that Belle Tire has experienced over the last few years and their continued plans for the future were the main reason I reached out to Belle Tire. They’ve got an experienced, talented, deep team from the bottom to the top in procurement, operations and all the disciplines in between. We are positioned well for the future. My hope is to build on the foundation of their success to help get the company to the next level.”
Canestri joined Tire Discounters in 2003 as an e-commerce and sales support manager, and quickly rose up the ranks of procurement. He was named vice president in 2016.
“We are honored that Felix reached out to us,” says Don Barnes III, president of Belle Tire. “We’ve known Felix for many years and seen the impact that he’s had on Tire Discounters. We know he will complement our current team and culture. We are excited and confident that he can help us take our procurement practice to the next level and position us well to support our growth plans.”
Belle Tire has been on a growth streak, specifically in Indiana. The company has opened nine new stores in the Indianapolis market in the last year, plus three more stores in the company's home state of Michigan. Belle Tire plans to open another 11 new stores in Indiana in 2019, giving the Hoosier State a total of 27 locations.
For more information, visit www.belletire.com.
