Acquisitions Nebraskaland/Kansasland Tire Group, based in Lexington, Neb., has taken over Great Western Tire in Goodland, Kan., and reopened the store under the Kansasland Tire banner June 1.
The acquisition is Nebraskaland/Kansasland Tire's fourth this year, giving the Goodyear-affiliated dealership 20 stores in the two states. A company spokesman said Great Western's owner was retiring, creating the opportunity to buy.
Earlier this year, the dealership bought two McCord Tire stores in Selina, Kan., and Bud's Tire in Pittsburgh, Kan., and converted them to Kansasland Tire stores.
President Tire Canada recently purchased a closed six-bay, 8,000-sq.-ft. Goodyear store in Montreal and converted it into a President Tire store.
The outlet, which employs seven, is the fourth company-owned store opened by President Tire in the past year, according to Sales Manager Denis Monette.
The dealership typically recruits existing dealers as franchisees, but recently has found none who were willing to convert to its system, he said.
President Tire, owned by Laval, Quebec-based A. Picard et Fils Inc., also operates company-owned stores in Val-d'Or, St. Jovite and Chicoutimi, Quebec, and has more than 100 franchise locations in Quebec and Ontario.
The firm currently is negotiating with Goodyear Canada Inc. to purchase another location in downtown Montreal.
"That one (downtown Montreal) will probably be a corporate store again unless we find someone that's willing to invest and say, `I want to become a franchisee, and let's cook a deal together,'" Mr. Monette said.