Rice Tire buys Rosson & Troilo Motor Co.

Nov. 10, 2006

Rosson & Troilo Motor Co. of Brandy Station, Va., is now owned by the Donald B. Rice Tire Co. of Frederick, Md.

Co-owner Tony Troilo, 56, sold the tire store and auto repair business to Ken Rice to concentrate on his towing and recovery service. The other store owners are his wife Pat and his parents Joe Troilo and Ruth "Bootsie" Rosson-Troilo.

Tony Troilo was Modern Tire Dealer's Tire Dealer of the Year in 1995. At one time the company had 12 stores and 125 employees. The tire business had been consolidated over the years, with just a Culpeper County, Va., store remaining. The towing business accounted for about 20% of Troilo's sales.

The tire business was started in 1928 by Harvey Rosson, Troilo's grandfather. Troilo's father became a partner in 1946, and Troilo became an equal partner in 1982.

As was reported in the November issue of MTD in an article on the past Tire Dealers of the Year, Troilo had also opened a used car dealership to dispose of vehicles his dealership has towed.

The Donald B. Rice Tire Co. has stores in Gainseville, Harrisonburg and Stephens City, Md. Troilo's employees have been retained by Rice.