Burke Automotive, Wiygul Automotive merging

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Burke Centre Automotive in Burke, Va., is merging with Wiygul Automotive Clinic's chain of seven retail tire and automotive service stores in Virginia and Maryland.

Burke Centre Automotive owner Chris Burr will join the Wiygul senior management team, and the single location dealership eventually will be rebadged with Wiygul Automotive signage, co-owner Zack Wiygul told Tire Business. The deal is expected to close June 21.

Mr. Wiygul said the Burke operation, which opens a new market for the 40-year-old Wiygul dealership, is a "natural fit for us."

Burke is a "census-designated place" in Fairfax County, Va., southwest of Washington D.C. with a population of about 58,000.

The Burke store, which operated under the Tire Pros banner, has 10 bays and an adjacent car wash operation. Mr. Wiygul said his company is looking at increasing capacity of the dealership in the future.

He said his company is talking with the American Tire Distributors Inc.'s Tire Pros dealer cooperative to determine whether the location will continue in the program.

Wiygul Automotive operates two locations in Alexandria and one each in Reston and Herndon, Va.; and one each in Clinton, Fort Washington and Waldorf, Md.