JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Former Zafco International and Martino Tire & Auto executive Minoo Mehta is ramping up the scale of the wholesale distribution company he opened in 2015, by securing U.S. distribution rights to Pirelli-brand farm and OTR and Magna-brand OTR tires.
The company, Jacksonville-based Tires Direct Wholesale, recently opened a warehouse in Atlanta and plans to open another in Dallas before mid-year and in Florida before year-end, Mr. Mehta said.
The warehouses will complement the firm's existing distribution centers in Houston, Los Angeles and Jacksonville.
- This story appears in the May 13 print edition of Tire Business.
The company is sourcing the Pirelli farm and OTR tires from Prometeon Tyre Group operations in Brazil. Magna produces its OTR tires at a plant in the Netherlands and via third-party manufacturers in China and Thailand.
The company offers both container-direct shipping and smaller shipments from its U.S. warehouses, Mr. Mehta said, moving on average about eight containers a day in and out of each warehouse in the growing distribution network.
Tires Direct Wholesale built its business prior to securing the Pirelli and Magna deals by selling a wide range of medium truck tires, including major brands such as Bridgestone, Goodyear, Michelin and Toyo, along with import brands Haida, Kapsen and Windpower.
It now also handles Pirelli-brand truck tires for customers in Florida and Texas, Mr. Mehta said, along with Magna's growing line of truck tires.
He's in negotiations to add other brands as well, he told Tire Business.
Mr. Mehta, who was the general manager of Zafco from 2012-15, also is running a second business, Tire Super Centers (TSC), a Jacksonville-based dealership with five commercial truck tire centers in Florida and one in Georgia.
Mr. Mehta bought this business about three years ago and has added four locations since taking it over.
While primarily servicing commercial accounts, the TSC locations also sell passenger tires and perform maintenance and repair work on cars and light trucks.
Mr. Mehta said he's looking to add more locations to this business, as well.
Since leaving Zafco in 2015, Mr. Mehta has been active with Tire Consultants Group, an enterprise that provides sales, branding, advertising, marketing and operational support to tire dealers, wholesalers, manufacturers and other interested parties in North America,
Prior to joining Zafco/Martino Tire in 2012, he worked for ATV Inc./American Tire Depot and Discount Tire Centers in California for nearly 15 years.