PHILADELPHIA—Main Line Tire Group, which announced plans last year to rebrand its stores under the United Tire & Service identity, has completed the process and is planning a grand opening event in April.
The company's 17 independent tire stores in the Delaware Valley—which previously had been named after the town in which they're located—are now operating under the United Tire brand identity, according to the dealership. The firm was scheduled to celebrate the name change April 29 at its Main Line store in Ardmore, Pa.
“We are now able to compete and win with every major national tire center chain without compromising our mission to not only meet our customers' expectations, but to exceed them,” said Ken Sylvester, president of United Tire & Service.
Aside from the name change, all of the company's locations will remain the same, including the staffs. Each store will continue to be run by a local co-owner in the business.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at noon during the grand-opening event, the company said.
In honor of the rebranding, United Tire will make a donation of $5,000—along with a percentage of the proceeds from opening day sales—to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, a non-profit organization that works to protect families against drunk driving and underage drinking. The donation will be made in the name of Ian Mann, a former mechanic from United Tire's Downingtown, Pa., location who was killed by a drunk driver.
United Tire said it grows via a combined ownership strategy, in which it finds partners to take a 50-percent stake in new stores that it opens.
The company said it expects to add six tire centers to the group before year-end 2014, and more will follow. Each store is dedicated to contributing to its local community's economic development, and the firm anticipates an increase in employment across the network by more than 10 percent, it said.
“We hope this real life David-and-Goliath story inspires other small business owners to hold their own against industry conglomerates,” Mr. Sylvester said.