Flynn’s Tire Group has opened its 30th Flynn’s Tire & Auto Service, a five-bay store in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
Joe Flynn III, president and part of the third generation of ownership of the Pennsylvania-based tire dealership, says the company acquired the building from a woman who retired after operating a quick lube business. The five-bay store at 614 Graham Road offers both tires and automotive services, Flynn says.
The Cuyahoga Falls location is retail-focused, and Flynn says it fills a gap in the map for the company, which has 25 retail stores, five commercial stores plus four warehouses as part of its wholesale business. Flynn's Tire & Auto Service operates in both Ohio and Pennsylvania.
“We weren’t selling tires in that area. If we can’t sell tires to a wholesale customer, we’ll sell them direct to the customer,” he says.
Flynn expects the company to open another pair of new stores by the end of 2021.
“We’re working on opening up two more by the end of the year, but it might go into next year.”
The company’s growth strategy includes identifying gaps in its footprint, and also working with other tire retailers who want to get out of the business now, or even retire a few years from now.
He says the company made a deal with an owner who was preparing for retirement, but not quite ready to walk out the door. “We made a deal and he stayed on for three years. He wanted to do (the sale) a few years before he was ready to retire. We acquired him and it was a great deal for him and great for us.
“We are looking for retailers that are looking to retire or get out of the business,” Flynn said. “We welcome them. Let us be one of the phone calls that (you) make. We’re a family-owned business.
“Hopefully we’ll be in the industry for generations to come,” Flynn says.
