Ricky Benton, president of Black’s Tire Service Inc., recently received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest civilian honor in the state of North Carolina.
The Order of the Long Leaf Pine “is presented to people who have a proven record of extraordinary service to our great state,” says Frankie Underwood, director of sales at Black’s Tire Service, which is based in Whiteville, N.C. “Among the things that are considered are an individual’s contributions to their community, the years of service to an organization, their extra effort in their careers and their exceptional accomplishments.”
Recipients of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, which was established in 1963, “become and are considered an honorary ambassador for the State of North Carolina.”
Past honorees include President Gerald Ford, poet Maya Angelou, civil rights leader Coretta Scott King, racing legends Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, minister Billy Graham, actor Andy Griffith, astronaut and former U.S. Senator John Glenn, basketball star Michael Jordan, singers Kenny Rogers and Ronnie Milsap, playwright Tennessee Williams and many others.
Benton, also a past winner of MTD’s Tire Dealer of the Year Award, received the honor in a special ceremony that took place in Whiteville on Sept. 4. Black’s Tire Service, with more than 60 retail and commercial locations – many of them in North Carolina – and 10 distribution centers, is one of the largest independent tire dealerships in the United States, according to the 2025 MTD 100.
