ITDG Continues to Grow Membership Base
The Independent Tire Dealers Group LLC (ITDG) continues to grow its membership base, along with increased purchasing activity and strategic initiatives, Jason Rook, president and CEO of ITDG, told attendees at the organization's annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., last week.
"Around 100 shareholders/members and 50 vendors made up the 400 attendees at this year’s event,” Rook told MTD during the meeting.
ITDG added to its membership base in 2025, even as mergers and acquisitions continued to change the tire dealer landscape.
"In 2025, we added 45 new members and 19 new shareholders, with 272 new member locations added,” Rook said. “We lost 13 members - nine shareholders - in 2025, due mainly to M&A activity. However, eight of those members were acquired by other ITDG members, so we kept those locations in the group.”
ITDG currently has 215 members with total rooftops totaling 1,531, up from 172 members and 1,192 rooftops last year.
“ITDG members purchased a whopping $550 million through the group in 2025 - 24% up from 2024,” Rook told MTD. “Total payout was up 22%.”
ITDG reported that 78% of the purchases were tire purchases made by members.
Looking ahead, Rook said ITDG’s priorities center on disciplined expansion and vendor support. “Sustainable growth within the membership is our top goal, along with supporting the vendors that we have,” he said. “We will continue adding members in the U.S. where territory permits, expand our Canadian presence from coast to coast and get started in the Latin American market.”
Last year, Rook said ITDG was targeting growth outside the U.S. and during the year signed up several Canadian dealers.
“Canada is moving along with solid vendor programs and a growing membership base,” noted Rook. "Mexico is just beginning to firm up, with growth in this market in 2026.”
Last year, ITDG also introduced a portal for its members to streamline program comparisons by vendors. “Our MemberLink dealer portal is now working on phase three and continues to be the industry leader in innovative reporting in the tire buying group space,” said Rook.
The portal is designed to do the “heavy-lifting” in program comparisons, he explained.
As lower-tier tire brands continue to gain market share, ITDG has adjusted its vendor strategy by partnering "with a few key manufacturers in this space, ensuring that our members have the latest developments in tier-four available, along with the best factory pricing in the nation,” said Rook.
He added that ITDG "has massively revised our tier-one and tier-two offerings going into 2026, along with better product access than ever before. This will allow more members than ever to participate in direct manufacturer programs, which help to increase their margins.”
At the same time, ITDG is preparing changes in other product categories. “In the auto parts space, we are working on a new approach that will change the way our members buy parts and put more money in their pockets,” said Rook. "With all of the innovation in the last couple of years, we are now able to focus on the basics of better deals through group buying. We’ve built a fast road for ITDG. Now we get to drive down it.”
Rook said market volatility remains a challenge. “The dealer landscape is changing and ITDG has to change with it in order to match the opportunities found in economies of scale. The biggest challenge in 2026 will be the instability in the marketplace and the inconsistency this creates at the sales counter.
"ITDG has to stay one step ahead so that we can continue to offer additional shelter from the current economic storms,” he said.
ITDG will take its annual meeting outside the U.S. in 2027. The event will take place April 6-11 in Dublin, Ireland.