DALTON, Ga. — Tire Discounters has taken over a pair of family-run retail tire stores in Dalton and reopened them under the Tire Discounters banner, expanding the brand's network to 107 stores, including three in Georgia.
Cincinnati-based Tire Discounters took over the operations of Turbo Tire Center and Johnson's Tire Pros — both owned by members of founder Lou Johnson's family — in late December and reopened the locations on Jan. 2 under its own identity.
The Johnson family members retain ownership of the real estate, leasing it to Tire Discounters, which offered Johnsons' employees the opportunity to stay on as Tire Discounters employees.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Turbo Tire opened 27 years ago in downtown Dalton in a five-bay structure. Johnson's Tire Pros operated out of an eight-bay structure on the south side of Dalton, a city of about 35,000 located roughly 35 miles southeast of Chattanooga, Tenn.
"We only reached out to companies who would continue to look after our customers just like my father did," said Linda Monfette. "Jamie Ward and the Wood family know how we feel about our customers and our employees – because they feel the same way."
Two generations of the Johnson Family, including Linda and Bob Monfette of Turbo Tire and David Johnson of Johnson's Tire Pros, will join Tire Discounters, working with Tire Discounters General Managers Ben Peters and Josh Gillespie, Tire Discounters said.
"It's a real honor that Linda, David and Cindy trust our family to carry on their customer-friendly tradition," said Chip Wood, founder and owner of Tire Discounters.
"My brother, sister, sons and daughter all work here, and we're trying our best to make sure that our industry isn't taken over by faceless corporations. Family-run stores are still the heart and soul of the tire business."