Maciak said growth will continue on a steady pace through 2027 as the dealership moves toward 60 stores or more.
"We have aggressive growth plans, and it's one of the reasons the private-equity firm brought me in," Maciak said, "to develop and implement a growth strategy.
"In the next three years, we should add another 40 to 45 stores on top of the 26 we have now," he said prior to the Tire Buster's acquisition. Bestige has not disclosed an investment budget for the expansion.
At 29 stores, Burt Brothers is considered one of the 50 largest independent retail tire dealerships in the U.S., according to Tire Business' calculations.
Short term, Bestige's plan calls for an additional 12 to 15 stores in Utah focused on areas where population growth is strong, he said, including key markets such as the St. George and Cedar City areas of southern Utah, as well as areas west of Salt Lake City.
An 18-year veteran at TBC — including one year at the helm of TBC's Big O Tires franchise unit — Maciak said he sees a mix of acquisitions and new stores in the Utah locations.
"The new stores will in-fill markets where we already have store locations."
The growth strategy also will take the company into parts of other states that make up the Mountain region, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming, Maciak told Tire Busines, most likely through acquisitions, followed by "build to suit" stores within those markets.
Much of the growth will be along Interstate 15, which runs north-south through most of these states. Maciak said this is critical since the company wants to place stores close to its North Salt Lake distribution hub and are within driving distance from corporate headquarters.
This is similar to a growth strategy Maciak used to expand TBC's Tire Kingdom and National Tire & Battery brands, where many stores were located along I-95 up the Eastern Seaboard for the same reasons.
And while there is a clear expansion plan, he said he knows the company needs to take a measured approach to be able to execute its strategy effectively.
"We're disciplined enough to know that we need to handle many things well, such as operations, procurement and marketing, to deliver the proper customer experience."
The growth will be financed by Park City-based Bestige, which Maciak said sees plenty of reasons to invest in the company.
"The tire industry is relatively recession-proof; people will continue to drive and will need tires and services."
Another reason is the pool of potential acquisition targets. There are many tire companies with three stores or fewer that can benefit financially from an acquisition.
Bestige was founded in 2016 by Nathan Richey, whose career includes stops at a number of investment firms where he focused on deal sourcing, acquisitions and post-close management of investments.
The name Bestige — a Norwegian term "to climb, ascend or scale" — is a metaphor for the entrepreneurial spirit that powers everything the company does as well as a nod to the Wasatch mountains of Park City, the company said.
The firm describes itself as one focused on building and developing a portfolio of investments in businesses with "high potential, clear reasons to exist, and strong value propositions."
Financial terms of Bestige's investment in Burt Brothers were not disclosed.
Procurement strategy
To execute the firm's growth strategy, Maciak is making changes in several parts of the company, the most important of which was the hiring of Brent Wolak, who worked with Maciak at TBC, to oversee distribution, procurement and pricing.
This role takes on some urgency because the company is reviewing its procurement strategy "to ensure our loyal customers get what they want."
For example, Valvoline Instant Oil Change is a long-time business partner of Burt Brothers, a relationship Maciak hopes can continue.
"I want to ensure our procurement strategy delivers the services and products our customers want. I've been very pleased with Valvoline's participation so far and hope that it continues."
All employees were kept by the company as part of the Bestige transition, and new employees have been added to staff the new stores. Bestige added corporate staff following the acquisition, so the infrastructure to support the growth strategy was already in place when Maciak arrived.
While the five second-generation Burt family members — cousins Jake, Jeremy, Jason, Brandon and Cory — no longer work at the dealership, they maintain a small equity ownership in the company, Maciak said.
They are the sons of brothers Wendel and Ron Burt, who founded the dealership in 1991. Wendel Burt died unexpectedly in April 2023 at age 68.
Employees/customers
To achieve Bestige's goals and improve profits, Maciak said there will be a focus on two key groups: employees and customers.
In addition, he plans to use data analytics will help improve profits while making community involvement an important part of the company's culture.
Employees will benefit from several initiatives, Maciak said, including a new compensation plan to provide more incentives, a "robust" training program to improve each technician's skills and a career development program for those who seek a path for long-term employment in the company.
Profits will be tied partly to a new mix of products and services.
"In the past Burt, did a little bit of everything. Our core services will be repetitive services such as tires, fluids, alignments and brakes," Maciak said. "We want to own the wheel well. If the customer needs something outside of our core, we will help them, but we may not provide it."
One of the changes coming is how the company communicates with its customers.
Maciak plans to roll out a new digital technology to build a stronger connection with customers. One way is to conduct digital inspections of a customer's vehicle and send customers an electronic report to their smart phone with needed repairs and the cost.
"People come back when they trust us and digital inspections are a way to build that trust," Maciak said. "We want to communicate with the customer in the way they demand. People just want transparency and will appreciate how we communicate this information to them."
He plans to offer competitive financing plans to customers who may not have enough money to pay for needed repairs.
Maciak is using data analytics from an outside vendor to help improve decisions about products, markets to enter and where a store should be placed in a new market.
"Data-centric decision-making is more surgical and can be used to capture market share, what tires to carry and what sizes to carry," he said.
Using this approach, the company chose the locations for its two newest stores based on factors such as population growth, barriers to entry and the number of competitors.
Maciak said the stores have been profitable in the early going.
This data-centric approach showed that the company was missing sales due to a lack of value-priced tires, leading to a greater inventory of these products.
The final piece of the growth strategy is to establish an annual charitable contributions budget. This year the company will donate more than $150,000 to nonprofit organizations, including Make-A-Wish Utah.
Maciak said it's important for the company to support communities where its employees and customers live and work.
More than 500 attended an event earlier this year to honor a child who benefited from the company's donation.
Promotional efforts
In addition, Burt Brothers has acquired naming rights for the Utah Motorsports Campus (UMC) Motorsports Playground in Grantsville, Utah, as part of a partnership with the sports organization.
The Motorsports Campus will undergo a name change "in the near future" now that the partnership is finalized, UMC said.
The partnership includes a "range of business-to-business and business-to-consumer opportunities that will generate exposure, expand reach, and foster deeper connections with fans, industry professionals, and local communities," UMC said.
"We are excited to welcome Burt Brothers Tire as a long-term partner," Garett Potter, general manager of UMC said.
"Their commitment to quality and customer service aligns perfectly with UMC's dedication to providing the best motorsports experience in the region. Together, we'll be able to deliver unforgettable events, exclusive offerings, and increased value for our fans, participants, and business partners."
UMC will host exclusive Burt Brothers-branded events, such as tire safety clinics, performance driving workshops, and sponsorship opportunities for race teams. The two organizations also will collaborate on educational programs, products and community initiatives "designed to foster growth in motorsports and help cultivate the next generation of automotive enthusiasts."
"As Burt Brothers continues to accelerate our growth with more locations throughout Utah, this partnership with the impressive Utah Motorsports Campus will allow us to connect with more customers and expand our reach," Maciak said. "Our team is excited to support and encourage greater appreciation for motorsports at a premier facility here in Utah."
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Scott Scredon, a freelance journalist, contributed to this article.
