PHOENIX — GB Auto Service, Inc., a Greenbriar Equity Group L.P. portfolio company dedicated to the retail tire and auto service sectors, is rebranding its corporate identity to Sun Auto Tire & Service Inc.
The company said the decision to rebrand builds on a well-established brand and aligns it more strategically with long-term expansion plans.
The company, which boasts a portfolio nearly 200 auto service stores across the U.S. Southwest and West Coast, will continue to use 10 brand names in the retail markets it serves in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oklahoma and Texas.
Sun Auto Tire said it is capable of serving over 1 million customers per year through the 1,500-plus service bays it maintains at its stores.
“Recent acquisitions brought us to a critical growth point that enables our unified leadership structure to capitalize on across-the-board efficiencies,” Sun Auto Tire & Service CEO Frank Kneller said.
“Over the past several years, we’ve carefully crafted a strong portfolio of automotive service brands that are recognized and trusted leaders in their respective markets.
"From a big-picture perspective, the Sun brand enjoys a strong leadership position across several of our regions. It made sense for us to adopt it in order to capitalize on the brand’s strength, as a foundational element of our continued growth path.”
With close to 200 retail stores, Sun Auto Tire ranks as the seventh largest independent retail tire dealership in the U.S., according to Tire Business calculations.
Announcement of the corporate rebranding follows a series of acquisitions, extending the company’s reach in California, Oklahoma and Texas.
Most recently, Sun Auto Tire acqired Fresno, Calif.-based Goodguys Tires & Auto Repair, adding nine stores in California.
Prior to that, the Phoenix-based company bought Houston-area ServiceONE Automotive (three stores), Austin, Texas, area dealer Reliable Automotive (three stores), Tate Boys Tire & Service of Oklahoma (seven stores) and Phoenix-based Sun Devil Auto and Sun Auto Service (32 locations) in August.