Discount Tire

Last updated

Reinalt-Thomas Corporation
  • Discount Tire
  • America's Tire
Company type Private
Industry Automotive part retailer
Founded1960;65 years ago (1960)
Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
Founder Bruce Halle
Headquarters,
Number of locations
Increase2.svg 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
Services
RevenueIncrease2.svg US$9.7 billion (2024)
Number of employees
Increase2.svg 30,806 (2024)
Subsidiaries
  • Dunn Tire
  • Tire Rack
  • Suburban Tire Auto Repair Centers
Website discounttire.com

The Reinalt-Thomas Corporation, doing business as Discount Tire and America's Tire, is an American 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]

Contents

History

Founding and initial growth

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. [3]

On September 10, 2018, the 1000th store was opened in Phoenix, Arizona. [4]

Further expansion and diversification

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. [5]

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. [6] 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. [7] In April 2024, Discount Tire acquired Suburban Tire Auto Repair Centers, a chain of automotive shops serving the Chicago metropolitan area. [8]

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

While Discount Tire does not manufacture tires, it sells brands made by external manufacturers as "exclusive" tires. Some manufacturers like Yokohama Tire sell exclusive models to Discount Tire, while still having other tires available with other retailers.

Exclusive tire brands sold by Discount Tire
BrandManufacturer
Arizonian Cooper Tire & Rubber Company
Road Hugger Nitto Tire Kumho Tire
Phantom Kumho Tire
Pathfinder Hankook
Rocky Mountain Giti Tire Nankang Rubber Tire
Sentury Sentury Tire
Mohave
Corsa Omni United

Corporate identity

Regional names

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

Commercials

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. [9] [10] [11]

Sponsorships

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. [12]

Discount Tire has presented the College Basketball Invitational since 2023. It also sponsors the Women's National Basketball Association alongside Continental AG. [13]

Controversies

Politics

Endorsement of Joe Arpaio

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. [14]

Anti-marijuana lobbying

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. [15]

Santa Clara incident

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. [16]

Litigation

Mavis Discount Tire rebranding lawsuit

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. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottsdale, Arizona</span> City in Arizona, United States

Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, and is part of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Named Scottsdale in 1894 after its founder Winfield Scott, a retired U.S. Army chaplain, the city was incorporated in 1951 with a population of 2,000. At the 2020 census, the population was 241,361, which had grown from 217,385 in 2010. Its slogan is "The West's Most Western Town". Over the past two decades, it has been one of the fastest growing cities and housing markets in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Tire</span> Canadian retail company

Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited is a Canadian retail company which operates in the automotive, hardware, sports, leisure and housewares sectors. Its Canadian operations include: Canadian Tire, Mark's, FGL Sports, PartSource, and the Canadian operations of Party City. Canadian Tire acquired the Norwegian clothing and textile company Helly Hansen from the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zellers</span> Canadian retail company

Zellers was a Canadian discount store chain founded by Walter P. Zeller in 1931. It was acquired by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) in 1978, and after a series of acquisitions and expansions, peaked with 350 locations in 1999. However, fierce competition and an inability to adapt during the early stages of the retail apocalypse resulted in Zellers losing significant ground in the 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Best Buy</span> American multinational consumer electronics retailer

Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American multinational consumer electronics retailer headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota. Originally founded by Richard M. Schulze and James Wheeler in 1966 as an audio specialty store called Sound of Music, it was rebranded under its current name with an emphasis on consumer electronics in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pep Boys</span> American automotive aftermarket service chain

Pep Boys is an American automotive aftermarket service chain. Originally named Pep Auto Supply, the company was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1921 by Emanuel "Manny" Rosenfeld, Maurice "Moe" Strauss, W. Graham "Jack" Jackson, and Moe Radavitz. Pep Boys is headquartered in the Philadelphia suburb of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottsdale Fashion Square</span> Shopping mall in Scottsdale, Arizona

Scottsdale Fashion Square is an upscale luxury shopping mall located in the downtown area of Scottsdale, Arizona, United States. It is the largest shopping mall in the state, with approximately 2 million square feet (190,000 m2) of retail space, and is among the top 30 largest malls in the country. The mall features Macy's, Dick's Sporting Goods, Dillard's, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus, in addition to a 14-screen Harkins Theatres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Parsons</span> American Internet entrepreneur

Robert Ralph Parsons is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist. In 1997, he founded the GoDaddy group of companies, including Internet domain name registrar GoDaddy.com, reseller registrar Wild West Domains, and Blue Razor Domains. In July 2011, Parsons sold approximately 70 percent of GoDaddy to a private equity consortium and resigned his position as CEO. In June 2014, he stepped down from his position as Executive Chairman and served on the board until 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big-box store</span> Physically large retail establishment

A big-box store, a hyperstore, a supercenter, a superstore, or a megastore is a physically large retail establishment, usually part of a chain of stores. The term sometimes also refers, by extension, to the company that operates the store. The term "big-box" references the typical appearance of buildings occupied by such stores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PetSmart</span> American pet supply store chain

PetSmart Inc. is a privately held American chain of pet superstores, which sell pet products, services, and small pets. It is the leading North American pet company, and its direct competitor is Petco. Its indirect competitors are Amazon, Walmart, and Target. As of 2020, PetSmart has more than 1,650 stores in the United States and Canada. PetSmart stores sell pet food, pet supplies, pet accessories, and small pets. Stores also provide services including grooming, dog daycare, dog and cat boarding, veterinary care via in-store third-party clinics, and dog training. They also offer dog and cat adoption via in-store adoption centers facilitated by the non-profit PetSmart Charities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colruyt Group</span> Belgian retail corporation

Colruyt Group is a Belgian family-owned retail corporation that is managing the Colruyt supermarkets and other subsidiaries such as OKay, Bio-Planet, DATS 24, DreamLand, DreamBaby, and more.

Walmart Canada is a Canadian retail corporation, discount retailer and the Canadian subsidiary of the U.S.-based multinational retail conglomerate Walmart. Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, it was founded on March 17, 1994, with the purchase of the Woolco Canada chain from the F. W. Woolworth Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FedMart</span> American discount department store chain

FedMart was a chain of discount department stores started by Sol Price, who later founded Price Club. Originally a discount department store open to government employees paying a $2 per family membership fee, FedMart earned four times more than its investors had projected in its first year. Over the next 20 years, FedMart grew to include 45 stores, mostly in California, and the Southwest in a chain that generated over $300 million in annual sales. The business expanded to several states in the Southwest United States. Many stores were previous White Front or Two Guys locations. Price later sold two-thirds of the chain to Hugo Mann, a German retail chain, in 1975 and was forced out of his leadership position the following year. FedMart went out of business in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Arpaio</span> American former law enforcement officer, politician (born 1932)

Joseph Michael Arpaio is an American former law enforcement officer and politician. He was the Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona for 24 years, from 1993 to 2017, losing reelection to Democrat Paul Penzone in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TravelCenters of America</span> Largest publicly traded full-service truck stop travel center company in the United States

TravelCenters of America LLC is the largest publicly traded full-service truck stop and travel center company in the United States. The company operates full service centers, convenience stores, and restaurants under the TravelCenters of America, TA, Petro Stopping Centers, TA Express, GOASIS brands ' TravelCenters of America is headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, operates in 44 U.S. states, and employs nearly 20,000 people, as of 2021.

Sunflower Farmers Market was an American chain of full-service grocery stores headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, which emphasized value-priced natural and organic products. Sunflower opened its first store in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2002. In June 2013, Sunflower Farmers Market was operating 38 grocery stores located in eight Southwestern states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Oklahoma and Texas. In June 2012, Sunflower merged with Sprouts Farmers Markets.

Bruce Thomas Halle was an American businessman, and the founder and chairman of Discount Tire. He was the wealthiest person in Arizona, with an estimated net worth of $5.2 billion at the time of his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avella Specialty Pharmacy</span> Pharmaceutical specialty company

Avella Specialty Pharmacy, formerly known as The Apothecary Shops, is an American specialty pharmacy company. Avella is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, and has facilities in eight states. Dr. John D. Musil is the company's founder. Rebecca Shanahan is the CEO.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers</span>

Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers is an American automotive maintenance brand, with services including its signature 10 minute oil change, in addition to full-service mechanical, tires, brakes, and more general service offerings. The company is headquartered in Birmingham, AL, where it was founded in 1979.

Tom Englert is an American business executive best known for serving as the second CEO of Discount Tire, a tire and wheel retailer in the United States. Englert succeeded the company’s founder, Bruce Halle, who credited Englert with contributing to the company's expansion from 23 stores to 900 stores.

References

  1. "Discount Tire". Forbes . Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  2. Modern Tire Dealer Top 100 for 2014 Archived March 8, 2015, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved March 7, 2015
  3. Doerfler, Sue. "Discount Tire names new CEO". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  4. Company Milestones Retrieved March 7, 2015
  5. Manges, Mike (July 26, 2021). "Discount Tire CEO: 'Nothing Is Off the Table'". Modern Tire Dealer. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  6. "Discount Tire Is Acquiring Tire Rack". Modern Tire Dealer. December 3, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  7. "Discount Tire Acquires Dunn Tire's Retail Footprint". PR Newswire. October 2, 2023. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  8. Manley, David (April 2, 2024). "Discount Tire grows in Chicago with Suburban deal". Tire Business. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  9. "Longest running TV commercial". Guinness World Records. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  10. "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.
  11. "Awards & Recognition" (Press release). Discount Tire Company. January 5, 2013. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
  12. Discount Tire Sponsorships Retrieved March 7, 2015
  13. Vanek, Corina (June 20, 2023). "Scottsdale-based Discount Tire signs league sponsorship deal with WNBA". azcentral.
  14. Nuño-Pérez, Stephen (August 15, 2016). "Store with Signs Supporting Arizona Sheriff Arpaio Draws Latino Backlash". NBC News. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. Jahner, Kyle (December 28, 2018). "Discount Tire Lawsuit Claims Mavis Rebrand Treads on Trademark (1)". Bloomberg Law. Retrieved November 13, 2023.