Skip to main content
EVENT TRACKER
Keep track of rescheduled, canceled industry events with our COVID-affected event tracker - Powered by Snap Finance
Close
Sister Publication Links
  • Rubber & Plastics News
  • European Rubber Journal
tb-logo
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • OPINION
    • CORONAVIRUS
    • AUTO INDUSTRY
    • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
    • COMMERCIAL TIRE
    • FACTORY FIXES
    • GOVERNMENT & LAW
    • INTERNATIONAL
    • MOTOR SPORTS
    • NEW PRODUCTS
    • RETAIL TIRES
    • SERVICE ZONE
    • SEMA/AAPEX
    • SMALL BUSINESS
    • TIRE MAKERS
    • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
      Vaccine may usher sense of normalcy
      Cover-up: More retailers requiring face masks to curb COVID
      USW alleges COVID-19 violations at Kumho plant
    • GM banking on 'BrightDrop' EV to build commercial van business
      Stengel promoted to president of NAPA parent Genuine Parts Co.
      Former auto exec Tyrone Jordan joins Cooper board of directors
      Bridgestone crafts virtual city to showcase sustainable-mobility initiatives
    • New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
      H&H broadens precure OTR business with Continuum mold acquisition
      Apollo to raise prices of Vredestein brand, effective March 1
      Taiwan tire makers propose settlement of import duties case
    • Conti adding light-duty products to General Tire OTR tire lineup
      GM banking on 'BrightDrop' EV to build commercial van business
      Gary Price to head Love's Truck Care operations
      TA opens 6th Oregon location, bringing 50 jobs to area
    • New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
      Taiwan tire makers propose settlement of import duties case
      Wireless auto data debate continues
      World rubber demand in 2021 to recover to 2019 levels — IRSG
    • Hankook gains OE fitments on Audi RS Q8
      General Tire Canada renews sponsorship deal with Raceline Network
      GRI expanding ag tire capacity at 3-year-old Sri Lanka plant
      Point S Canada adds 61 stores to network in 2020
    • Goodyear Racing staying on track
      General Tire Canada renews sponsorship deal with Raceline Network
      Indy Autonomous Challenge: High-speed, head-to-head, no drivers
      TGI secures Cosmo-brand naming rights at Fla. race track
    • Conti adding light-duty products to General Tire OTR tire lineup
      Goodyear-brand belts back on the market under licensing arangement
      Kumho launches commercial LT, performance tire lines
      The new One: Nokian unveils all-season passenger tire
    • Goodyear-brand belts back on the market under licensing arangement
      WTC hosting webinar Jan. 20 on load-capacity standards
      Bauer Built completes expansion at Neb. facility
      Point S Canada adds 61 stores to network in 2020
    • Shocks/struts maker KYB unveils video training series
      Bauer Built completes expansion at Neb. facility
      Marinucci: Basic steps to email efficiency
      Point S Canada adds 61 stores to network in 2020
    • WTC hosting webinar Jan. 20 on load-capacity standards
      Denver's Brian Sump named AAPEX Shop Owner of the Year
      DUB, TIS Wheels founder Myles Kovacs is SEMA Person of the Year
      AAPEX: Using social media to promote your business
    • Vaccine may usher sense of normalcy
      2020 Review: PPP loans give boost to small businesses
      Latest COVID relief bill includes $325B in small-business support
      AAPEX: Do more cars in the shop mean more profit?
    • Hankook gains OE fitments on Audi RS Q8
      Goodyear Racing staying on track
      General Tire Canada renews sponsorship deal with Raceline Network
      Apollo to raise prices of Vredestein brand, effective March 1
    • Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      7 questions to ask consumers when they need tires for a crossover SUV
      Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      Stocking Tires for Crossover SUVs
  • SHOP FLOOR
    • BALANCING
    • DEMOUNTING
    • SAFETY
    • TIRE REPAIR
    • TPMS
    • TRAINING
    • VEHICLE LIFTING
    • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Video: Balancing Tire
      Safety tips for wheel balancing
      An introduction to wheel balancing
      Wheel weights: Balancing form with function
    • Video: Demounting
      Demounting Equipment
      Making rims ready for a tight seal
      Tire changer types, tips and trends
    • Video: Safety
      Introduction: Creating a culture of safety
      Protecting your people with proper hygiene
      Making friends with OSHA
    • Video: Tire Repair
      Tire repair: Shining a light on visual inspections
      Staying safe when repairing a tire
      Essential tools, materials and equipment for tire repair
    • Video: TMPS Service
      Decoding sensor data for TPMS diagnosis
      Replacement TPMS sensor overview
      The life-saving work of TPMS
    • Video: Training
      Advantages of apprentice program partnerships
      Options and resources for CE tech training
      Internship ideas to attract tech talent
    • Video:Vehicle Lifting
      An introduction to lifts and lift safety
      Recommendations for using a jack
      Jack stands for commercial tire service
    • Video: Wheel Torque
      Introduction to proper wheel installation
      Torque check and recheck recommendations
      Using torque sticks to speed service times
  • Multimedia
    • VIDEOS
    • PHOTOS
    • PODCASTS
  • Events
    • ASK THE EXPERT
    • LIVESTREAMS
    • WEBINARS
    • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
  • Data
    • DATA STORE
  • Resources
    • DIRECTORY
    • CLASSIFIEDS
  • ADVERTISE
  • DIGITAL EDITION
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
January 18, 2018 01:00 AM

Mobile tire installation firm eyes expansion

Don Detore
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    AN ASAP technician installs a new tire on-site

    IRVINE, Calif. — Mobile tire installation is coming to a city near you — if it's not already there.

    Now that ASAP Tire, a mobile tire installation service launched in 2015 by auto industry veteran James Chen, has the financial backing and business acumen of growth accelerator Cie Digital Labs (CDL), the company has plans to expand its service from its home base in Southern California to densely populated cities across the U.S.

    ASAP Tire provides tire installation wherever the consumer needs the service, be it at home, office or golf course — wherever and whenever is most convenient for the consumer.

    It is a business model that seems to be working. Since partnering with CDL — which specializes in collaborating with startups and providing them resources, particularly capital, to fuel growth — ASAP Tire has grown from one van servicing one part of Southern California to 12 vans that service Los Angeles and Orange County in California, as well as cities in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Virginia.

    ASAP Tire also has quadrupled its workforce during that time, growing from a handful of employees to more than 20, including technicians, software developers and support staff.

    Chen

    Plans call for the company to expand to San Francisco, San Jose and Chicago and by year-end, “in terms of footprint, the company will grow three to five times to where it is today,” according to Anderee Berengian, CEO of CDL.

    The goal, Mr. Berengian said, is to offer the service throughout the U.S.

    “Density is our friend,” Mr. Berengian said. “It's just makes it easier for us to create a profitable business because the more an area is dense, the more it keeps demand busy. We want to be in a dense area, especially in the Midwest.”

    Consumers may purchase their own tires and have ASAP Tire install them, or they may purchase the tires through ASAP's partners. Mr. Berengian declined to name the distributors ASAP uses.

    “We are brand-agnostic,” he said. “We are customer-focused. We're not focused on pushing one brand over another. What we're looking for is to make it convenient for you.”

    If the consumer elects to buy tires through ASAP Tire, a company representative contacts him or her to determine the best tire for the vehicle. Once the purchase is made, the consumer will have the option of having ASAP Tire install the tires at a location of the consumer's choice.

    A certified technician will come to the vehicle to balance, rotate and/or install the tires. The old tires are taken away and recycled.

    The cost to install is roughly $20 per tire, according to Mr. Berengian, depending on several factors, including the size of the tire and the difficulty of the job. Customers are billed after the service is completed.

    Mr. Berengian said the majority of ASAP Tire's customers find the company through referrals. Customers, he said, have raved about the service.

    “It's been unbelievably positive,” he said. “Some of the words they've used to describe it is: ‘convenient,' ‘high quality,' ‘good value,' ‘trustworthy.' They love the service, love the convenience of it. They're typically shocked how easy the process is, relative to cost.”

    Convenience was the most compelling factor in Mr. Chen's vision for the company.

    “Today's consumers are busier than ever with increasingly less patience to wait for anything,” Mr. Chen said. “Yet tire installation services haven't changed in decades. You still have to wait hours at a tire store over multiple visits to shop for the right tire and get tires replaced.”

    Berengian

    Mr. Chen has been involved for the past 20 years with Axis Sport Tuning, supplier of the Axis-brand wheel line. He and Mr. Berengian are co-leaders of the company.

    “James is involved in the business day-to-day,” Mr. Berengian said. “My team does the initial lab setup, building all the technical support, running chunks of the operation for ASAP. James has experience in the tire business, and he has nucleus of knowing what folks to hire. And he knows the operational process. We both compliment each other.”

    Irvine-based CDL said it raised $1.8 million for the company via venture capitalist firms Wavemaker Partners and RezVen Partners and other industry veterans. The capital was used for, among other costs, adding more vans.

    Mr. Berengian said each van costs roughly $45,5000, plus another $20,000 in product to go inside of it, including a generator, compressor and tire-removing equipment.

    The company is using full-size Ford Transit and Mercedes Sprinter panel vans equipped with Hunter Engineering Co. tire changers and balancers. Several vans have paint schemes featuring the company's tire supplier partners, such as Continental, Michelin or Pirelli.

    CDL also provides ASAP Tire with shared and dedicated domain experts in Web and mobile development, business development, finance, human resources and IT, with Jim Davis a former eBay and PepsiCo Inc. executive, offering marketing strategy advice.

    “We are in the process of launching a bunch of technology for the consumer and driver...that will allow us the foundation to scale the business,” Mr. Berengian said.

    Customers have been requesting that ASAP Tire add additional services to its portfolio, such as wheel alignment or flat tire repair.

    For now, though, the firm intends to focus on tires.

    “We'll add to it when it seems right,” Mr. Berengian said. “We might focus on some basic car repairs, such as wiper blades, batteries, cabin filters...any basic maintenance. We'll try to stay away from changing liquids or any hazardous situations.”

    All other possibilities about expanding the business are being considered, he said, including adopting a franchise model. “We'll determine the pros and the cons, and make a decision from there,” Mr. Berengian said.

    ASAP Tire uses sophisticated data to determine mathematically not only which cities to expand to, but also which areas within those cities to offer the service and how many vans are needed to cover that specific area.

    “In a year, I'd like to have a strong presence in major metropolitan areas of the U.S.,” Mr. Berengian said. “Then in five years, I'd love to have all major metros and second- and third-tier areas with people covered with our service.”

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Tire Business would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor Don Detore at [email protected].

    SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Newsletter Center

    Staying current is easy with Tire Business delivered straight to your inbox.

    SUBSCRIBE TODAY

    Subscribe to Tire Business

    SUBSCRIBE
    Connect with Us
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Tire Business is an award-winning publication dedicated to providing the latest news, data and insights into the tire and automotive service industries.

    tb-logo
    Reader Services
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Site Map
    • Industry Sites
    • Order Reprints
    • Customer Service: 877-320-1716
    Partner Sites
    • Rubber & Plastics News
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Automotive News
    • Plastics News
    • Plastics News China
    • Urethanes Technology
    RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    • Terms of Service
    • Media Guide
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Classified Rates
    • List Rental
    • Digital Edition
    • Careers
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • OPINION
      • CORONAVIRUS
      • AUTO INDUSTRY
      • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
      • COMMERCIAL TIRE
      • FACTORY FIXES
      • GOVERNMENT & LAW
      • INTERNATIONAL
      • MOTOR SPORTS
      • NEW PRODUCTS
      • RETAIL TIRES
      • SERVICE ZONE
      • SEMA/AAPEX
      • SMALL BUSINESS
      • TIRE MAKERS
      • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • SHOP FLOOR
      • BALANCING
      • DEMOUNTING
      • SAFETY
      • TIRE REPAIR
      • TPMS
      • TRAINING
      • VEHICLE LIFTING
      • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Multimedia
      • VIDEOS
      • PHOTOS
      • PODCASTS
    • Events
      • ASK THE EXPERT
      • LIVESTREAMS
      • WEBINARS
      • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
    • Data
      • DATA STORE
    • Resources
      • DIRECTORY
      • CLASSIFIEDS
    • ADVERTISE
    • DIGITAL EDITION