Gill has been particularly active in acquiring existing Point S locations.
"It is a nice transition since the stores are already Point S branded and are familiar with our organization and our values as a company," Gill told Tire Business. "It helps those owners continue on their legacy while keeping the stores within the Point S family. We're very committed to continue helping Point S grow and be successful."
The largest acquisition, in terms of locations, was consummated between Gill and Nick and Bob Fox, two well-established members of the Point S family, both of whom, along with Eric Gill, have served on the Point S Board of Directors. Bob and Nick Fox operated all four of the Montana locations, with a staff of 43.
"It's a little bit of shock, a little bit of anxiety, fear, excitement," Fox said of his initial reaction.
Once he met with his staff and told them the news, he quelled his anxiety.
"I have a lot more excitement for the future and possibility of what their future look with Gills and how they could grow," he said. "Everyone took it better expected."
Nick Fox, in fact, will stay in the business and has accepted a management position with Gills Point S. His father, Bob, plans to retire.
"There's a lot more opportunity for growth, more in the business world," Fox said. "I'm excited to be part of group that has a lot of traction right now and see how high we can get in top 20 rankings of independent tire dealers."
The transaction with Foxes closed in late April.
Gill called the four Montana locations "a great addition to our growing Montana footprint and will help us continue to build out our presence in the state.
"Nick brings a strong operational skill-set to the table that will be valuable to our leadership team. He shares our core values of growth and a dedication to furthering his employees' opportunities."
Fox said taking care of his employees was one of his top concerns as talks heated up.
"I'm a relationship person: Those are important to me," Fox said. "I didn't want to do anything to sacrifice their success. Keeping stores in group was important."
According to Gill, his message to incoming employees is to ensure they know our company's culture and their values.
"We are a family-run company," Gill said. "We value each of our employees, are passionate about our customers' experience and want to be a force for good in our communities. These values usually align very closely with other family-run organizations, and making sure those employees know that is tantamount."
Gill said family-run businesses such as Foxes' shops are attractive for several reasons.
"Our organization is family-run, and those values are at the heart of our company," Gill said. "Finding other locations with those value sets is important to us."
Gill said taking care of employees extends to the previous owners.
"Helping those owners transition smoothly into the next chapter — whether that's retirement or continuing to work for Gills Point S — while ensuring their family-run legacy is respected is one of our main focuses when we acquire a new location," he said.
Gills Point S first began to grow in 2020, when it acquired 10 Vianor-branded retail stores in New England from Finnish tire maker Nokian Tyres P.L.C. Last year, the dealership gained 15 points of sale in 2023 in seven separate transactions.
Gill said he will continue to focus on filling in areas around current locations in order to create more market penetration there, while capitalizing on efficiencies in each of those regions.
But, he said, expanding into new states "is not off the table where it makes strategic sense."
According to current calculations Gills Point S ranks No.19 in terms of locations in the U.S., and No. 21 in North America.
"There was never a specific growth target we were trying to hit," Gills said, "but it's great to crack the top 20 and it's a testament to the team's commitment and hard work towards our company vision and allows us to give more opportunities to our team members."
