Following a record setting year in 2009, the Tire Alliance Groupe Ltd. (TAG) is looking for a repeat performance. President Paul Alves says he expects TAG’s 2010 results to far exceed those set last year.
“Through the first three quarters of 2010, the members are well ahead of last year results, and are again significantly outpacing the industry’s performance," he says. Year-over-year growth in purchases by TAG’s strong base of large regional retailers is leading the group’s record-setting results -- a 50%+ increase over 2009.
Alves expressed his appreciation for the strong support that all of the membership has given to the group’s programs over these last two years. He attributes the group’s gains to:
* the quality and market dominance of its members,
* the enhancement of the group's preferred vendor programs, and
* the addition of new programs.
The group’s overall results have been further bolstered by the addition of four new members over the last several months: Kost Tire & Auto Care in Binghamton, N.Y.; the Mass Tire Group (consisting of Dedham Tire, Maples Tire and Roland’s Tire) based in New England ; Colony Tire Service Centers of Edenton, N.C.; and Evans Tire & Service Centers of Carlsbad, Calif.
The new members have added 94 retail locations to TAG’s participant roster, which now exceeds 1,800 retail locations.
According to Alves, all of these strategic additions reflect TAG’s longstanding policy of primarily adding retail focused members in those areas where the new members’ geographic footprint works well with the existing TAG members and with TAG’s vendor network.
While TAG’s growth has been strong, according to Alves, he also emphasized that the group continues to look at expansion opportunities in markets where strategic additions make good business sense for the group and strengthen the relationships TAG enjoys with its’ supplier partners.
Over the last year, TAG has added several new preferred vendor programs to its portfolio. They include a tire pressure monitoring system program through Orange Electronic Co. Ltd.; an additional oil and preventive maintenance supplier in Valvoline (Ashland Inc.); and a Web design and POS partner in Tire Company Solutions (TCS). Alves adds that TAG is close to adding a few more key vendor partners.
For more information on TAG, visit www.tirealliance.com.
