CHARLOTTE, N.C.—American Tire Distributors Inc.'s (ATD) Tire Pros retail network is partnering with Independent We Stand, a nationwide movement of independent businesses that promote buying local.
ATD's Tire Pros Franccorp franchise announced the partnership originally at the Tire Pros annual meeting in January but now is making the deal official.
“There is not a better organization around that aligns with Tire Pros' DNA and resonates more to our member dealers than Independent We Stand,” said B. Quick Chadwick, Tire Pros director of marketing.
“We are excited to be a part of the buy local movement and putting all our energy towards it and we certainly couldn't do it without the support of our more than 640 of the best independent tire dealers in the country.”
Independent We Stand operates a website, www.IndependendentWeStand.org, and has developed Android and iPhone apps designed to help consumers find independently owned businesses on-the-go. Businesses listed on the group's site or apps can use that presence to increase their traffic online with tiered membership levels, the site organizer said.
“It's because of companies like Tire Pros that we are able to help these independent businesses,” said Bill Brunelle, co-founder of Independent We Stand. “With their support, we are able to offer free resources to thousands of businesses. The more money these independent stores are able to bring in, the more they reinvest and the bigger economic impact it will have on their community.”
Tire Pros Franccorp did not disclose its financial investment in the partnership. It said it will work with co-sponsors STIHL Inc. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to increase awareness about the benefits of buying local.
Independent We Stand describes itself as a movement of independent business owners across the country who inform their communities about the importance of “buying local” and how these efforts bolster their communities' local economy.