Pomp's buys small dealership
ELGIN, Ill.-Pomp's Tire Service Inc. has bought Rohlwing Brothers Inc. as the Elgin-based dealership's owners prepare for retirement.
``It's time to move on,'' said Don Rohlwing, 64, who runs the dealership his father and uncle founded in 1953 along with his brother Ken.
The deal for the single-outlet dealership was finalized Oct. 1; terms were not disclosed. Don Rohlwing said he and his brother will continue to manage the business for another year or so. He said Pomp's approached them with a good offer, and the brothers decided Pomp's was a good company.
``(They're on) the same page as we are,'' he told Tire Business. ``All the chips lined up.''
He added that Pomp's ownership can open the door to other brands such as Firestone, Kelly and Bridgestone, among others. Rohlwing Brothers-which sells passenger, commercial, off-the-road and lawn and garden tires-mostly sold Continental, General and Michelin brands.
The location is the 53rd outlet for Pomp's, though company officials declined further comment. Mr. Rohlwing said he doesn't have big plans yet for his retirement, but he already knows he'll miss the people he's met in the industry the most, including customers and suppliers.
``Over these years you meet a lot of people, you know a lot of customers,'' he said. ``...(Customers) were coming in (since 1953) and they're still coming in now.''
Mr. Rohlwing's son is Kevin Rohlwing, senior vice president of education and technical services at the Tire Industry Association.
Tire Warehouse
to open 3 stores
KEENE, N.H.-Tire Warehouse Central (TWC) Inc. said its three newest franchise stores are set to open within the next three months in New Hampshire and Maine.
The new outlets are in Goffstown and in Littleton, N.H., and Brewer, Maine. The stores will push the number of franchised stores to 27. The company also operates 27 company-owned sites for a new total of 54 outlets in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Maine and Vermont.
The 5,000-sq.-ft. Goffstown store is set to open in January, followed by the 7,000-sq.-ft. site in Brewer in February and the 5,000-sq.-ft. Littleton store in mid-March.
The new stores are part of TWC's plans to expand its franchise segment as part of an overall goal to double its presence in the Northeast to 100 stores. The company told Tire Business in September that it had identified 60 to 70 markets in the Northeast where franchises would fit into the company's plans.
Tire Kingdom opens 8 stores
JUNO BEACH, Fla.-Tire Kingdom Inc. has opened eight more stores, bringing its non-National Tire & Battery store count to 367.
The new stores are in Woodbridge, Va., Waycross, Ga., Asheville, N.C., Springfield, Ohio, Columbia, S.C., Bonita Springs and Tallahassee, Fla., and Gulfport, Miss.
The stores opened near the time Tire Kingdom's parent, TBC Corp., officially concluded its buyout of 225 NTB stores in 20 states on Dec. 1. That deal boosted TBC's store count 25 percent to more than 1,160 locations. The NTB stores will be folded into the Tire Kingdom subsidiary, giving it 592 stores.
Also in October, Tire Kingdom moved into its new headquarters in Juno Beach. The new office is about 45,000 square feet, compared with the former headquarters' 33,000 square feet in Riviera Beach, Fla.