Dobbs Tire & Auto Centers Inc. is making its first move far away from its home turf of the St. Louis, Mo., metro area. The company has purchased a seven-store tire and automotive service company in Texas.
Dobbs, which in late 2023 added Audax Private Equity to its ownership circle, called the acquisition of Automotive Super Center (ASC) in Longview, Texas, a "strategic expansion into the Texas market.
"This marks Dobbs' first acquisition under its buy-and-build strategy, advancing the company's vision to scale and consolidate the highly fragmented tire and automotive service industry," the company said in its announcement.
Dustin Dobbs, CEO and the fourth-generation leader of Dobbs, said, "We are thrilled to welcome Automotive Super Center to the Dobbs family as we expand our footprint into Texas. This acquisition is a significant step forward in our strategy to build a best-in-class platform that delivers exceptional automotive services and superior tire sales growth. With the addition of ASC, Dobbs is well-positioned to continue growing in key markets across the country."
The deal gives Dobbs 50 locations in three states: Missouri, Illinois and Texas. The company will now have 700 employees.
Chris and Eric Gordy, co-owners of ASC, will continue to serve in "key leadership roles supporting the expansion of Dobbs' local operations in Texas."
Dobbs Tire & Auto Centers was tied for the No. 29 spot on the 2024 MTD 100.
Chris Gordy said, "Partnering with Dobbs was a natural choice for us. We share a common vision of growth and the opportunity to be part of a platform that is set to lead the industry's consolidation efforts. Together, we can unlock synergistic growth across the broader platform while enhancing the customer experience."
Eric Gordy called out "Dobbs' reputation for operational excellence," and said coupling that with ASC's "relationships with our customers and our associates made this partnership an ideal fit. We are excited to be part of this high-growth platform."
Dobbs said this acquisition is part of its "ongoing efforts to build a robust plaform, leveraging its experienced executive leadership team, infrastructure, systems and institutional capital support."
