AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. — It might be time for CEO Walter Lybeck to start picking out the ink for the "5-5-5" tattoo he promised to get, should the Point S USA group he leads achieves its strategic goal: 500 locations in all 50 states within 5 years.
After another strong year of growth — buoyed by Gills Point S' recent acquisition of Peerless Tire Co. and its 50 Peerless Tires 4 Less retail outlets in seven states — the marketing cooperative, with 83 new locations signed up in 2024, is close to its goal.
Point S executives report that the cooperative now has 405 locations in 34 states with more than 30 months to go on its timetable, well ahead of the pace.
"Store-growth wise, I have no doubt we'll make that plan at all," Lybeck told Tire Business during the 2025 annual Owners Meeting, held at the Omni Amelia Island Resort & Spa in Amelia Island.
Lybeck said the strategy was hatched long before Eric Gill, president of Gills Point S, launched an aggressive growth plan that has seen his store count balloon from seven in mid-2020 to 121 today — with plans to add more.
"Aside from (the Gills' expansion)," Lybeck said, "our growth is going at a very nice pace. So we want to just keep that growth going. That is the primary purpose of our five-year plan."
He called the 50-state initiative "a fun one" — perhaps the most difficult goal of the three.
"I'd love to be at 50 states," Lybeck said.
"It's really tattoo prevention," countered Clint Young, the group's president and chief operating officer.
"Yeah, exactly," Lybeck said.
"I don't know if you meant to be that smart, but that's smart," Young said.