Discount Tire
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 Discount Tire store in Lawrence, Kansas | |
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| Company type | Private |
| Industry | Automotive part retailer |
| Founded | 1960 Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S. |
| Founder | Bruce Halle |
| Headquarters | , |
Number of locations |  1,157 stores in 38 states (2023) |
Area served | Most of the contiguous United States |
Key people | Michael Zuieback (Executive chairman) Dean Muglia (CEO) Christian Roe (CFO) |
| Products |
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| Services |
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| Revenue | US$8.9 billion (2023) |
Number of employees | 28,292 (2022) |
| Subsidiaries |
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| Website | discounttire |
The Reinalt-Thomas Corporation, doing business as Discount Tire and America's Tire, is an independent tire and wheel retailer. It operates in 38 of the lower 48 states, and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. Founded in 1960, it is considered the largest independent retailer of tires and wheels in the world.[1][2]
History
[edit]Founding and initial growth
[edit]Discount Tire Company was founded by Bruce Halle as a tire shop in 1960, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Halle had taken out a $400 loan to open the store, originally having six tires from a previous failed automotive supply company. In 1970, the company expanded to Arizona, with its headquarters being built in Scottsdale, Arizona. The company grew to over 200 stores by 1990 and opened its 500th store in 2002.
Tom Englert succeeded Halle as CEO in 2004, having initially started as a store employee three decades prior. In 2015, he stepped down and was replaced by Michael Zuieback, the stepson of Halle.
On September 10, 2018, the 1000th store was opened in Phoenix, Arizona.[3]
Further expansion and diversification
[edit]In 2020, Dean Muglia succeeded Zuieback as CEO, although Zuieback remained the executive chairman. Muglia stated that "nothing is off the table" in regard to future services, where the company had initially provided solely tire and wheel services.[4]
A store was opened in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in February 2020, marking the company's entry into the northeastern United States.
In mid-2021, Discount Tire partnered with Trico and began selling windshield wiper blades. It then acquired Tire Rack on December 31, 2021.[5] This was followed by the acquisition of Dunn Tire, a chain of full-service maintenance shops, on September 30, 2023, expanding their presence to New York.[6] In April 2024, Discount Tire acquired Suburban Tire Auto Repair Centers, a chain of automotive shops serving the Chicago metropolitan area.[7]
On December 27, 2022, Discount Tire announced it would be building a new headquarters in Phoenix. As of 2024, it is still under construction.
Products
[edit]While Discount Tire does not manufacture tires, it sells brands made by external manufacturers as "exclusive" tires.
| Brand | Manufacturer |
|---|---|
| Arizonian | Cooper Tire & Rubber Company |
| Phantom | Kumho Tire |
| Road Hugger | |
| Pathfinder |
Corporate identity
[edit]Regional names
[edit]Discount Tire operates as America's Tire in regions where other entities already use the same or similar name. This includes a majority of California, and other isolated instances such as in northeastern Pennsylvania.
After the purchasing of Dunn Tire, Discount Tire elected to keep Dunn Tire operating under its current name and branding.
Marketing
[edit]Commercials
[edit]In 2005, Discount Tire received a world record from Guinness World Records for the longest continuously running TV commercial, depicting an old woman, played by Maxine Olmstead, hurling a tire through a store window. The commercial first aired in 1975.[8][9][10]
Sponsorships
[edit]Discount Tire sponsors the Team Penske No. 2 and No. 12 Ford Mustangs in the NASCAR Cup Series, driven by Austin Cindric and Ryan Blaney respectively. It also sponsors the AMA Supercross.[11]
Discount Tire has presented the College Basketball Invitational since 2023. It also sponsors the Women's National Basketball Association alongside Continental AG.[12]
Controversies
[edit]Politics
[edit]Endorsement of Joe Arpaio
[edit]In August 2016, posters for Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's reelection campaign were posted inside store windows. This attracted outcry from opponents of Arpaio, especially in the Latino community due Arpaio having been found to have been racially profiling Latinos in federal court.[13]
Anti-marijuana lobbying
[edit]In October 2016, Halle and Discount Tire donated $1 million to the Arizonians for Responsible Drug Policy, a group which campaigned against the marijuana-legalization bill Proposition 205. In response, a boycott was initiated against the company.[14]
Santa Clara BMW incident
[edit]In October 2021, a customer reported damages done to his BMW Z by an America's Tire store in Santa Clara, California. Footage from their dashcam revealed that the store's employees discussing having thrown parts at the vehicle. The footage also shows the vehicle being driven at excessive speed, while the employees mocking the owner based on his Asian American name. The footage was posted on Instagram, where it attracted media attention. After the incident, the Discount Tire's PR team reported that the involved employees were terminated by the location and that the customer's damage would be reimbursed.[15]
Litigation
[edit]Mavis Discount Tire rebranding lawsuit
[edit]On December 26, 2018, Discount Tire successfully filed a lawsuit against Mavis Discount Tire over their usage of "Discount Tire" in the Midwest and the South. Mavis had previously operated as Mavis Discount Tire in the northeast, a market in which Discount Tire had not yet entered.[16]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Discount Tire". Forbes. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
- ^ Modern Tire Dealer Top 100 for 2014 Archived March 8, 2015, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved March 7, 2015
- ^ Company Milestones Retrieved March 7, 2015
- ^ Manges, Mike (July 26, 2021). "Discount Tire CEO: 'Nothing Is Off the Table'". Modern Tire Dealer. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ^ "Discount Tire Is Acquiring Tire Rack". Modern Tire Dealer. December 3, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
- ^ "Discount Tire Acquires Dunn Tire's Retail Footprint". PR Newswire. October 2, 2023. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ^ Manley, David (April 2, 2024). "Discount Tire grows in Chicago with Suburban deal". Tire Business. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ "Longest running TV commercial". Guinness World Records. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ^ "Classic Discount Tire Commercial Earns Guinness World Record for Longest Running TV Commercial and Makes It into the 50th Anniversary Book". Business Wire. October 12, 2004. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
- ^ "Awards & Recognition" (Press release). Discount Tire Company. January 5, 2013. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
- ^ Discount Tire Sponsorships Retrieved March 7, 2015
- ^ Vanek, Corina (June 20, 2023). "Scottsdale-based Discount Tire signs league sponsorship deal with WNBA". azcentral.
- ^ Nuño-Pérez, Stephen (August 15, 2016). "Store with Signs Supporting Arizona Sheriff Arpaio Draws Latino Backlash". NBC News. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ^ Stern, Ray (October 16, 2016). "Discount Tire Boycott Movement Grows as Owner Donates $1M to Keep Marijuana a Felony". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
- ^ Lim, Dion (October 16, 2021). "EXCLUSIVE: Customer's dashcam video exposes 'blatant racism' by Bay Area auto shop workers". ABC7 News. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ^ Jahner, Kyle (December 28, 2018). "Discount Tire Lawsuit Claims Mavis Rebrand Treads on Trademark (1)". Bloomberg Law. Retrieved November 13, 2023.