Tire Pros prez Dan Brown retiring

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (June 22, 2016) — Forty-one-year tire industry veteran Dan Brown, executive vice president and president of American Tire Distributors Holdings Inc.'s (ATD) Tire Pros franchise program, has announced his retirement, effective June 30, and will be replaced by ATD executive Ron Sinclair.

ATD said Mr. Brown “will remain actively engaged with Tire Pros” through year-end 2016 in a consulting role “to ensure a seamless transition.”

Mr. Brown began his career in the tire industry in 1975, joining J.H. Heafner Co. Inc.'s Heafner Tire unit in Lincolnton, N.C., after graduating from college. Starting out as a route salesman, he became Heafner's first marketing manager in 1976, then director of marketing in 1988 and, two years later, director of marketing and sales.

He also held other integral roles with Heafner following several acquisitions by the company — including serving as president of California-based Winston Tire Co. and Competition Parts Warehouse (CPW) in San Jose, Calif., a wholesaler/retailer with its roots in the speed shop/street-legal hot rodders venue.

In 1997 Mr. Brown became ATD's senior vice president of sales and marketing, remaining in that position until March 2001. He then served as ATD senior vice president of procurement from March 2001 until March 2008.

ATD said Mr. Brown transitioned to the role of executive vice president of sales, “providing leadership across the ATD field sales team.” He held that post until December 2010, then became executive vice president and president of Tire Pros in December 2010 and has held that role since.

During his tenure, Tire Pros' dealer count more than tripled “and the franchise has established a firm nationwide footprint,” according to ATD. “Among Dan's many accomplishments while at ATD, building Tire Pros into the premiere network of independent tire dealers stands out as the major achievement in his legacy.”

He also served on the board for the North Carolina Tire Dealers Association, including spending a year as the NCTDA's president.

As Mr. Brown retires, ATD said leadership responsibility for the Tire Pros franchise program will transition on June 30 to Ron Sinclair, ATD's chief marketing officer.  Mr. Sinclair has led ATD's marketing, branding and communications efforts since 2003, and has been actively involved in Tire Pros since 2009.

Prior to joining ATD in 2003, Mr. Sinclair served as vice president of marketing for Bruno's Supermarkets, a 191 store chain with stores across Alabama, Mississippi and the panhandle of Florida.

ATD, one of the nation's largest independent suppliers of tires to the replacement tire market, operates more than 140 distribution centers — including 27 distribution centers in Canada — serving approximately 70,000 customers across the U.S. and Canada.

The company employs about 3,500 employees across its distribution center network, including some 200 employees in Canada.