Sullivan Tire acquires Montvale Tire, 2 Boston-area retail stores

NORWELL, Mass. — Sullivan Tire and Auto Service has acquired Montvale Tire Car Care Centers, a 50-year-old dealership with stores in the northern Boston suburbs of Melrose and Woburn, Mass.

The acquisition extends the network of Sullivan Tire Auto Service Centers to 71 throughout New England, including 43 in Massachusetts. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Both locations will undergoing renovations in the upcoming months but will remain open for business during that time, Sullivan Tire said.

Many of the existing Montvale Tire staff will be staying on as Sullivan Tire employees and Sullivan Tire will honor all of Montvale Tire's warranty work.

"These locations are a perfect fit for our growth strategy," Sullivan Tire Vice President Paul Sullivan said.

"Former owner Tony Koles has been a fixture in these communities for nearly 50 years and has a very loyal customer base. We will certainly continue his legacy by treating each customer as a member of our family."

Founder and president Tony Koles started a service station in 1968 and started in the tire business, incorporating Montvale Tire Co, in 1969. The business expanded in 1973 with a move to the current Woburn location and the addition of the Melrose location.

A native of Melrose, Mr. Koles opened a service station in Woburn — on Montvale Ave. — in 1968 and added tires to the business mix a year later. The business expanded in 1973 with a move to the current Woburn location and the addition of the Melrose store.

He was president of the New England Tire Dealers Association from 1993-94 and still serves on the board. He was elected to the New England Tire Dealers Hall of Fame in 2010.