McCarthy Tire Service Celebrates Centennial and Signals Its Future

Founded in 1926, McCarthy Tire Service has grown from a single location in Wilkes-Barre into one of the largest independent commercial tire dealers in the United States.

Today, the company ranks among the industry’s largest players — the fourth largest independent tire distributor and seventh largest retreader in the United States — employing nearly 1,500 teammates and generating approximately $600 million in annual sales.

That scale is supported by a footprint that includes 75 service centers and 13 Bandag retread plants across eight states, with operations extending into 12 states overall. While McCarthy Tire Service maintains a limited retail presence — less than 2% of its business, with 15 hybrid locations and two dedicated retail stores — its primary focus remains firmly on commercial, OTR and fleet service. It provides everything from retail and commercial tire sales to fleet management, mechanical service and 24/7 roadside assistance.

That scale didn’t happen overnight.

When McCarthy Jr. officially joined the business in the mid-1980s, the company had just five stores, about 100 employees and $11 million in annual sales. Over the decades, McCarthy Tire Service's reach expanded dramatically through a mix of organic growth and strategic acquisitions, including major deals that filled geographic gaps and extended the company’s reach along key transportation corridors.

By 2019, McCarthy Tire Service had grown to more than $400 million in sales and over 1,300 employees. That growth has continued over the last six years, with a 50% increase in sales and 15% increase in staff — and the next generation now eyes a target of eclipsing $1 billion in sales.

Despite its size, McCarthy Tire Service continues to operate with the mindset of a family business. That culture was emphasized throughout the anniversary event and is rooted in principles passed down through generations of the McCarthy family: take care of your people, take care of your customers and build something sustainable.

“It’s all of you, this team, this family, that has carried that vision forward,” said McCarthy III during the welcome reception dinner.

McCarthy Tire’s employees — referred to internally as “teammates” — are central to the company’s identity, success and future.

“It’s a rare opportunity to make it this far,” said Daniel Horn, vice president of sales. “And when we’ve got a really good team that we continue to add to and grow, it honestly makes it a lot easier than it probably should be.”

The fourth generation, which includes McCathy III, Horn, Vice President Gary Lambert Jr., Controller Tim Lambert, General Counsel Colleen Doyle and Director of Human Resources Mary Kate Henry, echoed that sentiment, describing a culture where both family members and employees are deeply connected.

“It’s family for us,” said McCarthy III. “It’s our family, one, but also our work team that we’ve created here. Everyone feels like family and that's why we're so proud of it.”

That connection was on full display during the event’s awards ceremony, where standout performers from across the organization were recognized, reinforcing the company’s emphasis on celebrating contributions at every level. Highlighting the awards recipients, Bob Frail received this year’s Jack McCarthy Award — the highest honor bestowed on a McCarthy Tire Service teammate.

Reaching a fourth generation of leadership is rare. Only about 3% of family businesses make it that far, according to a statistic McCarthy Jr. referenced during the event that’s widely attributed to family business researcher Joseph Astrachan.

For McCarthy Tire Service, that milestone is already a reality and the next transition is underway.

In a moment that drew both applause and emotion, McCarthy Jr. announced that his son will assume the role of president in 2027.

"Reaching our 100th anniversary is a milestone that fills me with immense pride,” McCarthy Jr. said. Not just for what this company has built, but for the family, teammates and customers who made it possible. Passing the torch to my son, John III, and our fourth-generation leadership team is one of the greatest honors of my life. I have every confidence they will carry forward the values that have defined McCarthy Tire for a century, while embracing the technology and innovation needed to deliver world-class customer experiences for the next hundred years. The best days of this company are still ahead."

McCarthy III and the rest of the fourth generation’s transition into leadership roles has been years in the making. Like the generations before them, members of the fourth generation have worked their way through the business — from warehouse and service roles to leadership positions across departments. Today, they hold key roles in sales, operations, finance, legal and human resources and they’re already shaping the company’s future trajectory.

“The goal for the fourth gen is to get to $1 billion in sales,” said McCarthy III.

That ambition reflects both confidence in the company’s foundation and a recognition that growth will require new approaches.

“I think we saw and respected how the third gen did it,” said Horn. “I think we've realized, as we’ve talked about growth and how big McCarthy has become, that can't be the recipe for success moving forward if we want to continue as we talk about the next hundred years.

“Structure needs to change how we go about our business. The level of hands-on will always be there, but just being hands-on in specific aspects of the business at different times. I think it goes back to … hiring the best people to bring on as part of our team that we trust, that we know will go to market every single day with McCarthy's best interest for the company and for the family, and you just need to let them live it and do it.”

Looking forward, McCarthy Tire Service sees opportunity in both market dynamics and its own capabilities.

Industry consolidation — among both dealers and fleet customers — is expected to continue, creating openings for well-positioned companies to expand.

“You're going to see consolidations on the dealer side,” Lambert Jr. said. “You're going to see people retire who have been in a while. I think the current state of the economy with financing is really putting pressure on a lot of those companies. If you don't have that pipeline kind of figured out and that solid foundation, some of those companies or customers may be forced to sell quicker than they once thought.”

“It’s expensive to do business,” Horn added.

As smaller operators face increasing pressure, McCarthy’s scale, infrastructure and service offerings position it to capture additional market share, whether through acquisitions, expanded services or deeper relationships with strategic accounts.

Geographically, the company is keeping its options open.

“Nothing’s off the table,” said Lambert Jr., noting that future growth could come from new markets, new segments or additional acquisitions.

At the same time, leadership emphasized that growth alone isn’t the goal.

“We want to be the best tire dealer in the country,” said Horn. “Not the biggest — the best.”

Throughout the centennial event, another theme that remained constant was the past matters, but the future matters more.

McCarthy Tire Service is honoring its history, from commemorative gifts distributed to employees — including a pocket knife that serves as a nod to the fourth generation’s grandfather, John “Jack” McCarthy Sr., who collected them — to celebrations held at locations across the company’s footprint. But internally, the business focus is on alignment and ensuring that every teammate understands where the company is headed and how they contribute to that vision.

“The most important thing we can do is align on vision,” said McCarthy III.

For a company that has spent a century building relationships, expanding capabilities and adapting to change, that alignment may be its greatest advantage. While reaching 100 years is rare, sustaining momentum into the next century requires evolution. At McCarthy Tire Service, that evolution is already underway.

“I feel really excited,” said McCarthy III. “I love our team and I love the direction that we're going in our major strategies — sales enablement, operational efficiency, safety and production automation. I feel really confident about the team that we've built here and how we can provide value to customers in the future through technology.”