In May, Monro paid up to $15 million for the Car-X Tire & Auto business—comprising 146 franchised locations in 10 states—from Tuffy Associates Corp.
The Car-X stores are owned and operated by 32 independent Car-X franchisees, Monro said. Of those, three—Gorrepati Enterprises Inc. in Cincinnati, BREX Inc. in St. Louis, and NONA Inc. in Champaign, Ill.—are ranked among the nation's top 100 tire and auto service retailers by Tire Business.
- TBC Corp.'s Big O Tires L.L.C. unit played a role in two big deals.
In July MFA Oil Co. of Missouri purchased Big O Tires' interest in the BORE/MPC L.L.C. venture the companies formed seven years ago. That venture now operates 14 Big O Tires stores in Missouri and Arkansas, with plans for more.
In October, Big O Tires franchisees Golden West Tire Centers/Southland Tire acquired nine Big O stores in Colorado from longtime Big O franchisees Kevin and Valerie Brooks, expanding their combined network to 26 stores.
The deal made Golden West Tire/Southland Tire—the two businesses have cross ownership and operate as a single entity—the largest Big O franchisee. Sale terms weren't disclosed.
- Raben Holdings L.L.C. made two acquisitions: the inventory and other non-real-estate assets of Shelby's Wheel & Tires Inc. in Paducah, Ky., and the assets of Coogle Tire Service in Otterbein, Ind.
These deals “reinforce Raben Tire's commitment to extend the reach of our network to better serve customers across the Midwest,” Raben Tire Co. President Eric Glover said. Raben sold an undisclosed share in itself in late 2014 to Palladium Equity Partners L.L.C. of New York, which is on record as supporting Raben's efforts to grow.
- Jack Williams Tire Co. Inc. acquired two retail competitors within its distribution footprint—Lancaster, Pa.-based Philip Lebzelter & Son Co. and Pittston Tire & Auto Service of Pittston, Pa.
- Express Oil Change & Tire Service added 23 retail tire and auto service locations to its network in three separate acquisitions throughout the South.
The dealerships acquired—Savannah Tire Brake & Alignment Centers, Trax Tires and Upton Tire—were all affiliated with American Tire Distributors Holdings Inc.'s Tire Pros program and continue to do business under their respective names.