PORTLAND, Ore. — The music may be a bit louder, the salsa a tad spicier, and the mood even cheerier when the Point S marketing group gathers in Puerto Rico in late January to celebrate its 40th anniversary.
And the list of attendees at the event could be even larger — if not the largest — than ever before.
While part of that can be attributed to the venue — who wouldn't want to spend four days in the sun and sand of the Caribbean — a lion's share of that is the direct result of four initiatives the group recently adopted.
The four pillars of the plan — referral, expansion, retention and a unique associated dealer program — support and enhance the group's main objectives: The viability and sustainability of the independent tire dealer as well as the growth and protection of the group.
"Our mission is the success of independent tire dealers," Point S CEO Walter Lybeck told Tire Business. "We take that really seriously. We believe if we can't succeed long-term, independents will have a hard time in the long run. They need an avenue working together in the market, and we provide a great option for them in that mission."
The initiatives, approved and put into practice early in the fourth quarter of 2022, already have paid dividends. The Point S network grew by 28 points of sale in that timespan, bringing to 273 the number of Point S locations in the U.S.
Among the new locations are stores in Alabama and South Carolina, bumping the group's footprint to 29 states.
One initiative, perhaps the most innovative of all, has accounted for 12 of those new locations alone: