Tulare (Calif.) Firestone Inc. has become the latest independent tire dealership to integrate a Mighty Auto Parts franchise into its operation.
Founded in 1952, Tulare Firestone has 10 locations, plus a wholesale operation that supplies tires and auto parts to hundreds of other tire dealerships in the western U.S.
The company is owned by Lionel Pires, whose son, Kevin, was introduced to Mighty during a tire retailer 20 group meeting hosted by Jeff Pohlman, a tire dealer who owns four tire outlets and one Mighty Auto Parts franchises in Hamilton, Ohio.
"Seeing their Mighty operation, as well as talking to Jeff about the return on investment and profit potential, really opened my eyes to the parts side of the business," he says. "The idea of capturing the margins we were paying to outside parts supploers while gaining control over our own supply chain was something we were very interested in for our retail stores. We buy tires directly from the manufacturer and now we do the same thing with parts."
Tulare Firestone is the 26th multi-location tire dealer to integrate a Mighty division into its core business. Combined, these franchises represent more than 350 retail tire stores and 16 wholesale tire operations.
Mighty currently oversees 110 franchises and company operations in 41 states.
