After a slower-than-normal 2023, the pace and number of tire dealership mergers and acquisitions picked up in 2024.
The number of tire dealership acquisitions that were publicly announced in 2024 exceeded the number of acquisitions that were made known in 2023.
By far, the most prolific acquirer of independent tire dealerships in 2024 was Gills Point S Tire & Auto. Headquartered in The Dalles, Ore., Gills Point S Tire & Auto has become a nationwide enterprise, having added more than 75 locations during the last 12 months.
Its biggest acquisition was the purchase of Peerless Tyre, one of the largest independent tire dealerships in the western United States, with 50 locations throughout Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming.
The western U.S. proved to be a hotspot for tire dealership M&A during 2024. North Salt Lake, Utah-based Burt Brothers Tire & Service Inc. expanded through acquisition, as did Moorpark, Calif.-based Big Brand Tire & Service.
Bend, Ore.-based Les Schwab Tire Centers Inc. also made some key acquisitions. Potosi, Mo.-based Purcell Tire & Rubber Co. made a major acquisition when it purchased Jack’s Tire and Oil Management Co. Inc., which was headquartered in Logan, Utah. The deal included 21 locations.
Sun Tire & Auto Service Inc., which is based in Mesa, Ariz., continued to pick up dealerships during 2024. Among other chains, Sun Tire & Auto Service acquired 33 Caliber Auto Care locations in Texas, plus a 24-store chain based in the Phoenix, Ariz., market.
In the Midwest, Discount Tire expanded its presence in the Chicago, Ill., area via the acquisition of Suburban Tire Auto Repair Centers, a six-store independent.
Further east, Norwell, Mass.-based Sullivan Tire Co. Inc. acquired Stratham Tire, a longtime independent that had seven stores, plus another dealership.
With interest rates declining, tire dealership M&A is expected to continue at a robust pace throughout 2025.
For a full list of tire dealership acquisitions in 2024, see MTD's 2025 Facts Issue.