Erik R. Olsen, president and CEO, TBC Corp., which operates 730-plus retail stores under the NTB Tires & Service and Tire Kingdom brands, and franchises retail operations under the Big O Tires and Midas brands, talked to Tire Business about aftermarket trends.
Last year, TBC converted 85 Merchant's Tire & Auto Service outlets in Maryland and Virginia to NTB signage, completing a conversion process that started in 2016.
The company opened five NTB and four Tire Kingdom stores in the first five months of 2019 and has 18 more retail stores due to open this year.
Q: How would you describe the aftermarket business so far in 2019? A: The automotive aftermarket business is robust. All of our business units — retail (company-owned and franchise), distribution, ecommerce and our automotive shop software side of the business — are performing and working hard to exceed customer expectations.