Telle Tire acquires 5th St. Louis store

RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Mo. (Jan. 4, 2016) — Telle Tire & Auto Service is buying the St. Louis-area store of Meyer's Automotive, an independent car care facility in business since 1973, and is making plans for continued expansion in the coming years

The south St. Louis facility will become Telle Tire's fifth retail store. The dealership plans to make two to three acquisitions per year for the next five years, according to Aaron Telle, president and CEO of the Richmond Height-based retail dealership, while also evaluating potential greenfield sites.

Financial terms of deal were not disclosed.

The Richmond Heights-based dealership has a non-disclosure acquisition agreement in place with another business at this time, Mr. Telle added.

Telle Tire plans to transition the Meyer's Automotive name to Telle Tire eventually while also creating a cohesive brand plan for the storefronts and sales areas for all of its stores, Mr. Telle said.

Telle Tire envisions considerable tire sales growth opportunity for the Meyer's Automotive location, he added, which derives about 80 percent of its revenue from auto service. Telle Tire intends to retain all of Meyer's Automotive employees.

Phil Meyer, owner of Meyer's Automotive, will continue to operate Waterloo Automotive, a similar business in Waterloo, Ill., Telle Tire said.

This is Telle Tire's third acquisition in the past 18 months, Mr. Telle said, which helped the dealership boost sales 50 percent last year over 2015. Double-digit growth is anticipated for the "forseeable future."

In 2015 Telle Tire acquired Fenton, Mo.-based Al's Automotive & Tire and Alton, Ill-based Drake Tire & Auto.

Aaron Telle is a fourth-generation owner of Telle Tire, which was founded as a retreading firm in 1942 by C. Arthur Telle Sr. and Dan Froesel.