ATD expands Canadian wholesale business

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — American Tire Distributors Inc. (ATD) has acquired Pneus Superieurs Inc. of Quebec, expanding its network of warehouses in Canada operating under its National Tire Distributors (NTD) unit to 24.

The deal involves three distribution centers — in Boucherville, Quebec City and Sherbrooke, Quebec — which ATD said will shorten delivery times and increase product selection for customers in Quebec, thus helping NTD meet growing customer demand as Canada's economy beats growth projections.

Pneus Superieurs was the wholesale arm of Pneus Belisle Inc., a Boucherville, Quebec-based retailer.

Financial terms were not disclosed. ATD did not disclose how many personnel are involved nor what Pneus Superieurs' annual sales revenue is.

A fourth distribution center listed by Pneus Superieurs, in Victoriaville, is considered a "third-party handling facility" that was not owned by Pneus Superieurs, but will continue to operate in the same fashion as it did previously, ATD said.

This is ATD's second acquisition in Canada this year. In January it bought Tire Supplier Inc., a single-location wholesaler in Cambridge Ontario.

The four Pneus Superieurs distribution centers have a combined warehousing capacity of more than 400,000 tires, according to the dealership's web site.

"This move contributes to our business and strengthens our portfolio for delivery," said ATD CEO Stuart Schuette.

"Bringing these great teams together allows NTD to provide a best-in-class delivery and service and adds value for our customer, building the most customer-centric distribution team the industry has ever seen."

NTD has two existing distribution centers in Quebec, in St. Laurent and Quebec City, among its 21 locations.

ATD expanded into Canada in 2012 via its acquisition of TriCan Tire Distributors of Edmonton, Alberta,

TriCan adopted the NTD identity in February 2014 for its wholesale activities in Canada, which at that point went to market under nine different brands — TriCan, RTD, WTD, Hercules, Kipling Tire Wholesale, Tireco Wholesale, Kirk's Tire Wholesale, Trail Tire Distributors and Extreme Wheel.