ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Monro Inc.'s decision to rebadge a pair of recent acquisitions — eight Sawyer Tire Co. stores in southwest Missouri and four Liberty Auto Group tire store outlets in Minnesota — with its Car-X Tire & Auto brand expands the number of Car-X Tire outlets directly owned by Monro to 53.
Since acquiring the Car-X Tirefranchisee program in April 2015 from Tuffy Associates Corp., Monro has acquired a half-dozen Car-X franchisees and rebadged other acquired stores with the Car-X identity.
The number of franchised locations now stands at 98, down from 146 in 2015.
During that time, Monro hasn't signed any new franchisees but several have added stores, according to Dan Legalt Jr., executive director of Car-X L.L.C. in Schaumberg, Ill.
Among those is Mark Goldner, whose company, MJG Development L.L.C., opened its 10th Car-X location in March, in Waukee, Iowa, a western suburb of Des Moines.
In addition, Mr. Legalt said Monro is in discussion with a few interested parties and is planning to attend Franchise Expo Midwest in Chicago in September to promote the brand to that audience.
Of Monro's acquisitions of Car-X locations, the largest was the purchase last year of 16 stores in Illinois and Iowa owned by Nona Inc. and Parham Parastaran, who had been building his network since the mid-1990s.
Other Car-X transactions include:
- Eight locations in Illinois and Indiana from Auto MD L.L.C., August 2017;
- One store in Indiana from NTI L.L.C., July 2016;
- Four stores in Minnesota from Task Holdings Inc. and Autopar Inc., July 2016;
- Three stores in Illinois and Indiana from an unnamed Car-X franchisee during fiscal 2016; and
- Four stores in Wisconsin from McMar Inc., December 2015.
In addition, in 2017 and 2018, Monro acquired seven independent tire and/or auto repair shops in five separate transactions and converted those stores — in Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota — to the Car-X brand.
Of the 151 Car-X locations now in operation, the majority are in states where Monro is unable to use its Mr. Tire brand.