OK Tire strikes deal with Bélisle wholesale unit

SURREY, British Columbia (Jan. 16, 2014) — OK Tire Stores Inc. has formed a strategic alliance with Pneus Supérieurs Inc., a Boucherville, Quebec-based wholesaler, allowing for the expansion of the OK Tire brand further in Quebec.

The deal makes Pneus Supérieurs — a division of Pneus Bélisle Inc. — an associate member and shareholder of OK Tire and brings Pneus Supérieurs' 100-plus associated dealers into the OK Tire fold, nearly tripling the OK Tire presence in Quebec and broadening its scope to more than 400 locations nationwide.

Pneus Supérieurs operates four distribution centers in Québec and supports 11 Pneus Bélisle Auto and Commercial Centers, 34 Autopneu Dealers, 32 Mécanipneu Dealers, 27 Pneu Sélect Dealers and two Michelin Retread Technologies retread plants, OK Tire said.

Under the agreement, the Pneus Supérieurs dealer network members will maintain their existing identity and brand. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Surrey-based OK Tire already lists 45 franchisees in Quebec that use the OK Pneus identity and signage. OK has been present in Quebec since the mid-1990s.

OK Tire outlets are present in eight other provinces as well: 50 each in Alberta and Ontario; 44 in British Columbia; 24 in Saskatchewan; nine in Manitoba; eight each in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia; and five in Newfoundland.

The addition of Pneus Supérieurs expands OK Tire's wholesale distribution network to 15 distribution centers, OK Tire said.

Pneus Supérieurs' distribution centers are in Boucherville, Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Sherbrooke and Victoriaville, Quebec, which together house more than 400,000 tires, the company said.

Among the brands listed on the firm's Web site are Aurora, BFGoodrich, Marshal, Maxtrek, Maxxis, Michelin, MultiMile, Uniroyal, Vredestein and Yokohama.

Pneus Belisle was founded in 1971, with Pneus Supérieurs being added in 1988, according to the company timeline.

Last fall OK Tire named Robert Downs presidentafter Greg Sims retired. The dealership also launched an advertising campaign featuring an animated "Sticker" family in various activities.