The Pep Boys-Manny, Moe & Jack has acquired 17 Discount Tire Centers in Southern California from AKH Co. Inc.
Prior to the sale, Anaheim, Calif.-based AKH was ranked 18th on the Modern Tire Dealer 100 list with 55 outlets. Following the sale, AKH, which does business as Discount Tire Centers in California, ranks 27th.
(Discount Tire Co. Inc., the largest independent tire dealer in the United States, does business in California as America's Tire. It is based in Scottsdale, Ariz.)
The 17 stores are located throughout the greater Los Angeles market, from Bakersfield to Orange County. They will re-open on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2013, as Pep Boys stores, and provide full-service vehicle maintenance and repair, including brand-name and private-brand replacement tires.
“We aim to grow in the neighborhoods where our customers live and work through the acquisition and development of service and tire centers," says Pep Boys CEO and President Mike Odell.
"With this acquisition, 75% of Los Angeles-area residents live within three miles of a Pep Boys location,” says Joe Cirelli, senior vice president for business development. “Now we have nearly 150 locations in California, where we have served customers since 1933.”
Pep Boys has more than 750 locations nationwide. “We look forward to continued growth,” adds Cirelli.
