VIP Tires and Service

Last updated
VIP Tires and Service
Industry Automotive aftermarket company
Founded1958;66 years ago (1958)
Headquarters Auburn, Maine
Key people
John P. Quirk (President and CEO)
Parent Quirk Tires and Service
Website www.vipauto.com

VIP Tires and Service, previously known as VIP Parts, Tires and Service, before the auto part business segment purchase by O'Reilly Auto Parts in December 2012. [1] Prior to the O'Reilly purchase, VIP was the largest independently owned automotive aftermarket company in New England and the 14th largest in the United States. [2]

Founded in 1958, VIP Tires and Service is based in Auburn, Maine, the fifth (2018) largest city in the state. In September 2001, VIP was purchased by Quirk Tires and Service. Quirk Tires was founded by Edward S. Quirk in 1926 in Watertown, Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest tire dealers in the United States. VIP is now headed by John P. Quirk, Edward's grandson, who serves as President and CEO of the company. [3]

As of October 2021, VIP has 65 stores in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont. [4]

In 2008 VIP Tires & Service received the Polk Inventory Efficiency Award in the retailer/distributor category for advanced product control technology. The Polk Inventory Efficiency Award, presented by R.L. Polk & Co., recognizes and rewards outstanding aftermarket companies for process improvements relative to inventory efficiency. [5] [6]

In 2018 VIP Tires & Service Owner and CEO, John Quirk, was named "Independent Tire Dealer of the Year" by Modern Tire Dealer Magazine. [7] [8]

From 1981–2007 VIP Tires and Service sponsored a one-day event held at the Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, Maine. The event was the largest single day car show in northern New England. The event combined a car show with a drag race. It drew fans of show cars, from classic muscle cars to Corvettes and customized tuner cars as well as trucks and motorcycles. [9]

Related Research Articles

<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">HKS (company)</span> Publicly traded automotive accessories company headquartered in Fujinomiya, Japan

HKS Co., Ltd. is a publicly traded company headquartered in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan specializing in the engineering, manufacturing, and sales of high performance aftermarket and accessory automotive parts and components. With 50 years in business, and global efforts in aftermarket parts and motorsport, the company claims, "HKS is perhaps the most known aftermarket brand in the world"

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bridgestone</span> Japanese multinational manufacturing corporation

Bridgestone Corporation is a Japanese multinational manufacturing company founded in 1931 by Shojiro Ishibashi (1889–1976) in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan. The name Bridgestone comes from a calque translation and transposition of ishibashi (石橋), meaning 'stone bridge' in Japanese. It primarily manufactures tires, as well as golf equipment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AutoZone</span> American automotive parts company

AutoZone, Inc. is an American retailer of aftermarket automotive parts and accessories, the largest in the United States. Founded in 1979, AutoZone has 7,140 stores across the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Brazil and the US Virgin Islands. The company is based in Memphis, Tennessee.

<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">Western Auto</span> Former auto parts retail chain in US

Western Auto Supply Company—known more widely as Western Auto—was a specialty retail chain of stores that supplied automobile parts and accessories operating approximately 1,200 stores across the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pan Am Railways</span> American transportation company

Pan Am Railways, Inc. (PAR) is a subsidiary of CSX Corporation that operates Class II regional railroads covering northern New England from Mattawamkeag, Maine, to Rotterdam Junction, New York. Pan Am Railways is primarily made up of former Class II regional railroads such as Boston and Maine Corporation, Maine Central Railroad Company, Portland Terminal Company, and Springfield Terminal Railway Company. It was formerly known as Guilford Transportation Industries and was also known as Guilford Rail System. Guilford bought the name, colors, and logo of Pan American World Airways in 1998.

CSK Auto, Inc. was a specialty retailer of automotive parts and accessories in the western United States. CSK Auto became a publicly traded company in March 1998, headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, and grew through a combination of acquisitions and organic growth. It was acquired in 2008 by O'Reilly Automotive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carquest</span> American automotive parts chain

Carquest Corporation is an American automotive parts distribution network that was sold and currently owned and operated by Advance Auto Parts via independent retailers associated with the network as "Carquest Auto Parts". As of October 4, 2014 Advance operated 5,305 stores, 109 Worldpac branches. Advance Auto Parts and Carquest Auto Parts employs approximately 75,000 employees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Automobile repair shop</span> Shop where automobiles are repaired by mechanics and electricians

An automobile repair shop is an establishment where automobiles are repaired by auto mechanics and technicians. The customer interface is typically a service advisor, traditionally called a service writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O'Reilly Auto Parts</span> American automotive parts company

O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. is an American auto parts retailer that provides automotive aftermarket parts, tools, supplies, equipment, and accessories to professional service providers and do-it-yourself customers. Founded in 1957 by the O’Reilly family, the company operates more than 6,000 stores in 48 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Driven To Perform</span> Canadian car show

Driven To Perform (DTP) is an auto show billed as Western Canada's largest and most established automotive lifestyles tour and originally featured mainly import tuner sport compact cars. The inaugural show was held in Vancouver, BC in 2002 as Import Showoff Canada, but has since changed its name and expanded to include other vehicle types and into the other large metropolitan cities in this region of Canada. Major sponsors include Toyo Tires, Future Shop, Mobil1, Honda, Mazda, Lordco and Visions Electronics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Advance Auto Parts</span> American auto parts retailer

Advance Auto Parts, Inc. is an American automotive aftermarket parts provider. Headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, it serves both professional installer and do it yourself (DIY) customers. As of October 2023, Advance operated 4,785 stores and 320 Worldpac branches in the United States and Canada. The company also serves 1,307 independently owned Carquest-branded stores in the U.S., Mexico, The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and British Virgin Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auto auction</span> Selling auto vehicle

Auto auctions are a method of selling vehicles based on an auction system. Auto auctions can be found in most countries and are usually exclusive to licensed automobile dealers. In a few countries, such as Japan, auto auctions are well known and used by most residents.

The Herb Chambers Companies, usually shortened to Herb Chambers, is one of the largest automotive dealership in New England and is the North America's 17th largest dealer group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impul</span> Japanese automotive aftermarket company

Hoshino Impul Co., Ltd., commonly known as Impul, is a Japanese automotive aftermarket company and racing team based in Setagaya-ku, Tokyo. Founded by Nissan's factory driver, Kazuyoshi Hoshino, the company exclusively produces aftermarket parts for Nissans, such as bodykits, engine components as well as wheels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R.L. Polk & Company</span> Data publishing company

R. L. Polk & Company was a provider of business and marketing information to the automotive industry, insurance companies, and related businesses. It was based in Southfield, Michigan with operations in several other countries, including Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, China and Australia. Its business-to-business marketing services included PolkInsight, the National Vehicle Population Profile (NVPP), Blackburn / Polk Marketing Services Inc. (BPMSI), Polk Dealer Marketing Manager, The Ultimate Perspective (T.U.P), Polk Canada Net, Polk Vehicle Lifecycle System, Polk CrossSell Reports, and Polk Total Market Predictor. From 1999 it was the owner of the vehicle data service Carfax.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KOI Auto Parts</span>

KOI Auto Parts is an American chain of auto parts stores founded in 1946 in Newport, Kentucky. Today KOI Auto Parts operates 60 stores located throughout the US states Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. The corporate office of KOI Auto Parts is located in Newport, Kentucky. KOI Auto Parts is a supplier of OE and aftermarket import and domestic replacement automotive parts and accessories, automotive refinish supplies, equipment, tools and various other parts and services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ATR (company)</span>

ATR is the corporate umbrella of one of the world's largest independent trading cooperations for automotive spare parts and a service center for four garage service concepts. The headquarters of ATR is located in Denkendorf (Baden-Württemberg). ATR companies provide auto shops and spare parts dealers with original spare parts and garage equipment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Automotive part retailer</span> Type of retail business

An automotive part retailer is a retail business that sells automotive parts and related accessories to both consumers and professional repair shops, through physical stores and websites. Some automotive parts retailers also offer customer support and services related to automotive maintenance and repair.

References

  1. O'Reilly purchasing VIP Auto's parts assets Tire Business, December 18, 2012
  2. Ulrich, Bob (July 2011). "Tire Kingdom v. Discount Tire". Modern Tire Dealer. 92 (7): 18–26.
  3. "V.I.P., INC · Lewiston, ME United States". Hoover's. 2010-10-21. Retrieved 2011-08-15.
  4. "VIP Parts, Tires and Service (Official site)". Vipauto.com. Retrieved 2011-08-15.
  5. "R. L. Polk & Co. Announces 2008 Inventory Efficiency Award Winners" (press release) Retrieved on September 8, 2008.
  6. Guyette, James E. "VIP Tire Wins Polk Award". Motor Age. Retrieved September 8, 2008.
  7. "Meet the 2018 Tire Dealer of the Year" (press release) Retrieved on January 2, 2019.
  8. "Meet the 2018 Tire Dealer of the Year". Modern Tire Dealer. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  9. "26th Annual VIP Show, Shine and Drag – June 24, 2007". Motortopia. Retrieved September 8, 2008.