Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Rubber News
  • European Rubber Journal
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • Current Issue
  • BEST PLACES TO WORK
  • News
    • HUMANITARIAN
    • TIRE MAKERS
    • COMMERCIAL TIRE
    • GOVERNMENT & LAW
    • MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
    • OBITUARIES
    • OPINION
    • MID YEAR REPORT
    • SERVICE ZONE
  • ADAS
  • Data
    • DATA STORE
  • Custom
    • SPONSORED CONTENT
  • Resources
    • Events
    • DIRECTORY
    • CLASSIFIEDS
    • SHOP FLOOR
    • AWARDS
    • ASK THE EXPERT
    • LIVESTREAMS
    • WEBINARS
    • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
    • RUBBER NEWS EVENTS
    • BALANCING
    • DEMOUNTING
    • SAFETY
    • TIRE REPAIR
    • TPMS
    • TRAINING
    • VEHICLE LIFTING
    • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Best Places to Work
  • ADVERTISE
  • DIGITAL EDITION
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
November 15, 2018 01:00 AM

Coker Group sold to Wade Kawasaki/capital investment group partnership

Tire Business Staff
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    Corker Tire photo
    Corky Coker (left) and Wade Kawasaki

    CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — A group of Coker Group executives, led by President and CEO Wade Kawasaki and with backing from Irving Place Capital, has acquired the supplier of collector car and motorcycle tires and wheels.

    Financial terms were not disclosed. Irving Place Capital is a New York-based investment firm active in the consumer, industrial and packaging sectors.

    The acquisition includes Coker Tire Co. Inc., Wheel Vintiques, Universal Vintage Tire, Phoenix Race Tires, Specialty Wheel and Roadster Wire Wheel brands.

    Coker Group will continue to operate under the same leadership team and staff that helped drive that growth while expanding both its range of products and its portfolio of companies, the new ownership group said.

    Corky Coker, son of company founder Harold Coker who led the company for 40 years until his retirement in 2014, will retain ownership of Honest Charley Speed Shop and a property management company,  which he will continue to manage with his children, the group said.

    Mr. Kawasaki, Coker Group president and chief operating officer since 2014, thanked Corky Coker for his decades of leadership at Coker Tire and for the "confidence and trust he has placed in me as I have led the company and positioned it for the next chapter.

    "We intend to accelerate growth with our partners at Irving Place Capital," Mr. Kawasaki said, "as we expand into newer models and markets while continuing to serve the traditional restoration market that has been our home for six decades.

    "Coker Group will continue to provide our customers with the same best-in-class products, great customer service that they know to expect and we look forward to creating more jobs, offering more products and continuing the Coker Group legacy together."

    Harold Coker founded Coker Tire in 1958 as a local tire store, which grew into the vintage tire and wheel supplier it is today under Corky Coker's leadership. The company serves the hot rod, muscle car, motorcycle, motorsports and import markets.

    "After my retirement in 2014, the Coker Group flourished under the leadership of Wade and his team," Corky Coker said. "Coker Group has been and will continue to be committed to our core vintage customer and I have full confidence that this next step will be terrific for the company and the employees.

    "The collector car market is evolving, and with the current surge in interest in 1970s, 1980s and even '90s vehicles, no one is better suited to expand the company strategically than Wade, who has always had a deep appreciation for these vehicles."

    Among Irving Place Capital's holdings is Dynojet Research, a high-performance vehicle aftermarket supplier. Irving Place Capital Co-Managing Partner Phil Carpenter worked with aftermarket veteran Dan Gresham and Mr. Kawasaki on this transaction.

    Mr. Carpenter said the partnership with Mr. Kawasaki and the Coker Group team "positions the company for long-term growth both domestically and internationally.

    "The Coker family built a brand and a portfolio of companies that are beloved by enthusiasts around the world. By partnering with Wade and his team we will together advance that legacy well into the future."

    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].

    Most Popular
    1
    Goodyear to trim jobs amid 'uncertain' economic outlook
    2
    Hankook sponsor, supplier of new Prototype Sprint Series
    3
    Goodyear to upgrade Cooper plant in China
    4
    Midas, Big O, RNR earn high marks from Entrepreneur magazine
    5
    Titan sponsoring online mental health, fitness program
    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
    • Instagram
    • 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.

    Reader Services
    • Staff
    • About Us
    • Site Map
    • Industry Sites
    • Order Reprints
    • Customer Service: 877-320-1716
    Partner Sites
    • Rubber News
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Automotive News
    • Plastics News
    • Urethanes Technology
    RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    • Terms of Service
    • Media Guide
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Classified Rates
    • Digital Edition
    • Careers
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • BEST PLACES TO WORK
    • News
      • HUMANITARIAN
      • TIRE MAKERS
      • COMMERCIAL TIRE
      • GOVERNMENT & LAW
      • MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
      • OBITUARIES
      • OPINION
      • MID YEAR REPORT
      • SERVICE ZONE
    • ADAS
    • Data
      • DATA STORE
    • Custom
      • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • Resources
      • Events
        • ASK THE EXPERT
        • LIVESTREAMS
        • WEBINARS
        • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
        • RUBBER NEWS EVENTS
      • DIRECTORY
      • CLASSIFIEDS
      • SHOP FLOOR
        • BALANCING
        • DEMOUNTING
        • SAFETY
        • TIRE REPAIR
        • TPMS
        • TRAINING
        • VEHICLE LIFTING
        • WHEEL TORQUE
      • AWARDS
        • Best Places to Work
    • ADVERTISE
    • DIGITAL EDITION