VIP Tires & Service has acquired Center Automotive in Needham, Mass., effective Oct. 1.
The store will be co-branded, retaining Center Automotive in its name for several years before switching to VIP branding.
Center Automotive is a 15,000 square-foot facility with 14 service bays. All existing Center Automotive employees have been hired by VIP Tires in a similar role or expanding role opportunities.
VIP Tires will honor all Center Automotive customer warranties at all 73 VIP Tire locations.
“We are thrilled to expand our operations in Massachusetts, building on the strong legacy of customer service that has endured at Center Automotive for decades,” says John Quirk, owner and executive chairman of VIP.
“Our goal is to help the Center Automotive team through our ongoing commitment to the industry-leading education and new, state-of-the-art equipment and technology.”
Quirk and Tim Winkeler, president and CEO of VIP Tires, have been in conversation with Jim O’Brien and Paul Gardner, owners of Center Automotive, for almost five years.