"None of us in the business today — and probably the last couple of generations — has had any kind of experience” like COVID-19, says Dominic Umek, group business leader at Cleveland, Ohio,-based Conrad’s Tire Express & Total Car Care.

In the 18 years since Michael Sullivan left the corporate world and bought a tire store in California, he’s quadrupled that business’ sales. But he admits he hasn’t done it alone.

Bill Leach had wanted to expand beyond his one-store tire business in Paola, Kan., for some time. So when he finally found the perfect location for a second store, about 30 miles away in Baldwin City, Kan., he was ready to roll. And one decision at least was an easy one.

If the Tire Pros franchise of American Tire Distributors Inc. (ATD) was a chain of stores operated by a single independent dealer, it would rank No. 3 on the 2015 Modern Tire Dealer 100 list.

Tire Pros is taking its marketing training on the road, meeting with its network of independent tire dealers for eight hours of discussion and data sharing during its Tire Pros University (TPU) summer classes.