Merchants Tire: The facts
Merchants Tire and Automotive Center is an automotive firm that sells wheels and tires and also offers (offer) a host of professional auto repair and maintenance services. It has several stores located throughout the USA and is part of Tire Kingdom, which is the biggest automotive and tire dealer in the nation.
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History
The year 1943 marked the founding of Merchant’s Tire and Automotive Centers. The company's first retail outlet was opened to the public in Manassas, Virginia and was manned by only three associates. Afterwards, a small Esso gas station with six brand new tires and 12 retreads opened in January of 1944. The company's second retail shop was put up in the city of Centreville, Virginia. By 1972, Merchant's Tire outlet network has expanded to 12 stores. Merchant’s Tire is also a part of Tire Kingdom, regarded as the country’s biggest independent automotive and tire dealer.
Location
The company's increasing base of commercial and retail sites can be found in various parts of the US, such as Baltimore, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tidewater/Virginia Beach, Charlottesville, Roanoke, Richmond, the Northern Virginia and Durham /Raleigh areas.
Available tire brands
The company carries of a variety of well-known tire and automotive parts brands such as Pirelli, Dunlop, Spicer, Continental, Michelin, Borg-Warner, Raybestos, General, Kumho, BFGoodrich, Uniroyal, Goodyear, Monroe, Yokohama, and Sigma. In June of 2000, TBC Corporation, a Memphis-based company, bought Tire Kingdom. Included in the deal was the acquisition of Merchant’s Tire and National Tire and Battery. TBC Corporation is among the country's biggest distributors and marketers of tires in the market.
Expansion
TBC continues to grow the business of Tire Kingdom, adding sites in areas it currently has presence in addition to expanding the latter's geographic reach. Sumitomo Corporation of America purchased TBC Corporation in November of 2005. The company is a business partner and investor in over
40 affiliate and subsidiary firms.
Services
Merchant’s Tire and Auto Centre offers an array of auto maintenance, repair and diagnostic services such as brakes inspection, wheel alignment, steering evaluation, shocks and tie rods replacement, ball joint lubrication, CV joint and CV axle testing, fuel system cleaning, battery testing, batter installation, struts inspection, differential fuel exchange, air filter change, fuel filter change, cooling system flush and fill.