Health & Fitness
17 Independent Retailers Band Together to Form United Tire & Service
Six new independent tire centers are expected to join the group by year's end.
A group of 17 independent tire stores in the Delaware Valley has united against big box retailers and national tire dealers to form United Tire & Services.
By joining forces, this group of tire dealers and auto repair facilities is able to offer the consumer the most competitive pricing on big name brands like Goodyear and Michelin – while still providing the high level of customer service expected from a local center.
"We are now able to compete and win with every major national tire center chain without compromising our mission to not only meet our customers’ expectations but to exceed them,” said Ken Sylvester, United Tire & Service president.
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All locations will remain exactly the same – including the same store managers and ASE certified technicians – with the exception of a new branded identity and increased buying power. Each store will continue to be run by the local owner that lives in the community of that store.
It is estimated that six new independent tire centers will join the group by the end of 2014, with more to follow thereafter. Each store is dedicated to contributing to their local community’s economic development and expects employment to increase across the network by more than 10 percent. As a collective group, United Tire & Service will be ranked as the largest independent tire group in the region. In fact, in their market area, they are the second-largest tire group, preceded only by Pep Boys.
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“We hope this real life David & Goliath story inspires other small business owners to hold their own against industry conglomerates," Sylvester said.
On April 29 United Tire & Services will celebrate the 17-store launch with a grand opening event at the Main Line store at 208 East Lancaster Avenue in Ardmore at 11:30 am. The ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at noon. Click here to learn more about the event.
In honor of this exciting venture United Tire & Services will be making a donation of $5,000, as well as a percentage of proceeds from opening day sales to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), an organization close to their hearts. MADD is the nation’s largest nonprofit working to protect families from drunk driving and underage drinking. The donation will be made in the name of Ian Mann, a mechanic from the Downingtown location who was tragically killed by a drunk driver.
United Tire & Service has 17 locations in the Delaware Valley with even more to come. Each facility offers the best and most competitively priced brand name tires and automotive repairs including oil changes, tune-ups, tire balancing and more. For more information on United Tire & Service please visit www.unitedtire.com. And make sure to stay connected on Facebook.
