VIP Tires moves New Hampshire store to larger location

CLAREMONT, N.H. — New England's VIP Tires & Service has relocated its retail outlet in Claremont to former car dealership property across the street from the previous location, a move that provides double the space and nearly double the number of bays.

The 9,100-sq.-ft. location, one of 19 VIP Tires outlets in New Hampshire, opened on Oct. 19. It features nine service bays (as opposed to five at the previous store), and it offers 20 percent more on-site tire storage (1,800 versus 1,500).

VIP Chairman and CEO John Quirk said the family-owned dealership purchased the Claremont Ford property, which sits on 2.6 acres, at a foreclosure auction in May. VIP renovated the location extensively over the last six months, investing more than $1 million in the project, including the cost of the facility.

The eight employees at the original location are moving to the new location, and VIP said it will hire one additional master ASE technician.

VIP said it plans to have its store personnel use tablets at its new Claremont location, "so service advisers and technicians are more efficient and able to provide a better experience to customers."

"More and more customers are visiting our Claremont VIP store location for automobile service and repair, and we needed more bays to better accommodate them," said Tim Winkeler, president and chief operating officer of VIP.

"Plus, the customer area of the new facility will set a new standard in customer comfort, from the wood floors to the new improved tire displays, as well as a larger coffee station and a laptop bar for people who like to work while they wait for their vehicles."

The previous VIP location will be occupied by an O'Reilly Auto Parts store.

"This deal is a win-win situation," Mr. Quirk said, "as both O'Reilly and VIP needed more space to meet growing customer demand. O'Reilly will continue to enhance its auto parts assortments with additional market coverage, and VIP will expand its service bay operations and expand our tire inventory.

The hours of operation will remain the same as the previous service center: Monday- Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

VIP said all of its locations offer a tire shop and full-service automotive repair, including brake repair, preventative maintenance, muffler and exhaust repair, multi-point vehicle inspections, wheel alignments, state inspections and oil changes.

VIP has been extremely ambitious over the last few months. Since August, the dealership has opened two other new stores; one in West Lebanon, N.H., and its first store in Vermont, located in Williston.

VIP has 58 locations — 35 in Maine, 19 in New Hampshire, three in Massachusetts and one in Vermont — a total that makes it the fourth largest independent tire dealership in New England and 19th largest in the U.S., according to Tire Business' annual ranking of the top 100 dealerships in North America.

"The investment we've been making in our people over the last five years is paying off," Mr. Winkeler said. "Every day, more and more people trust our certified professionals to take care of their vehicles, so our sales and profitability have never been better, which allows us to find additional opportunities for new markets."