With a new CEO in place, Gills Point S is planning to solidify its presence in existing markets by filling in areas where it already has stores.

Gills Point S, which is based in the Dalles, Ore., and boasts the largest collection of locations within the Point S USA network, recently named tire industry veteran Chris Adams as its top officer, replacing longtime owner Eric Gill, who has moved to a position on the dealership’s board.

Gills Point S has been one of the fastest-growing independent tire dealerships in the U.S., with around 135 locations, including 50 outlets acquired from longtime Peerless Tyre Co. owner Sam Forbes in 2024.

The purchase of Peerless Tyre, which was based in Denver, gave Gills Point S access to seven new states: Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wyoming and Texas. (The Gills Point S network stretches from the West Coast to the East Coast.)

Gills Point S spent most of last year integrating and rebranding the Peerless Tyre stores, all of which now operate under the Gills Point S banner and format.

“What was exciting about the Peerless deal is that it allowed us to go into another handful of states,” Eric Gill told MTD. “The strategic plan is now to fill in. We’d rather have 20 stores in one state than four stores. That’s where we’re going to spend a lot of time looking for opportunities. I would never say that if a great opportunity came up in a neighboring state we wouldn’t look at it, but we want to build a world class organization. That’s what we’re really focused on.”

Fast trajectory

“The last couple of years have been a really fast growth trajectory” for Gills Point S, said Adams, who before joining the dealership most recently worked for Discount Tire, where he served as that company’s senior vice president, overseeing Discount Tire’s fleet and full service busines.

“When you do all that integration ... our team just needs to come up for some air and that’s sort of what we’re doing right now. We want to concentrate on growing our existing network, but we’ll certainly be back in the market.”

In the meantime, Gill told MTD that the dealership “will stay in our lane” by focusing on “what we’re good at. One of my early mentors always said, ‘You don’t create value unless a customer would be disappointed if you were no longer around.'"

“Our goal is to earn the trust of the customer by building comfort, clarity and trust in our processes,” Adams added. “We provide a diverse mix of services for our customers.”

More than half of Gills Point S stores are located in rural communities of around 10,000 to 15,000 people. The dealership also has stores in Denver; Portland, Ore.; and other larger, more densely populated cities.

“We have to meet the customers where they are, so defining that is being able to say yes to the customer who walks in through our front door and making every customer feel welcome,” said Gill.

New revenue streams

In addition to shoring up its current locations, Gills Point S wants to pursue more business in the fleet arena.

“One of the things that Chris brings to the table because he’s come from national players ... he has some contacts and the vision to go after some customers who would only consider you if you were a big national player,” said Gill.

“I think our biggest opportunity that’s somewhat untapped is that regional fleet – HVAC and plumbers – and there are so many out there. We have a number of service trucks that can go to a fleet yard, whether it’s commercial trucks or smaller fleets any time of day.

“We have over 200 vehicles that we own and can be used harder and heavier,” said Gill. “It’s like building 10 service bays but only using six. We have a unique advantage because we already have the infrastructure.”