Congratulations to the following Texas based tire
dealers for their recognition in Tire Business as one of
the largest retailers. The recognition is based on several
factors including number of locations and corporate sales.
• A to Z Tire & Battery
• Lamb’s Tire & Automotive
• Pueblo Tires & Service
• Tiremax of North America
Car-X Franchisee Adds Texas Store. Car-X Tire & Auto
franchise operator Raj Mulwani has opened a Car-X location
in Lakeway, Texas, his eighth in the state. Mr. Mulwani
opened his first Car-X Texas location in San Antonio in 2003
and by year-end 2007 had four locations in that city. A year
later he opened a new full-service Car-X auto repair center
in Austin, and in 2010 expanded his franchise ownership
to locations in Round Rock and Pflugerville. The new
Lakeway center services all makes and models, including
diesel and hybrid vehicles, according to Car-X. It operates
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 7 a.m.
to 6 p.m. Saturdays. The outlet provides full scheduled
maintenance services including belts, batteries, brake jobs,
wheel alignments, exhaust, air conditioner and suspension
system work. “Our customers can go to one reputable repair
center for everything including oil changes, diagnostics,
tires, transmissions, steering and suspension work,” said
James Pezzaro, Corporate Office Manager for the company’s
Texas operations. “Car-X Tire & Auto even provides loaner
cars and same day service on most repairs.” Jason Jordan,
District Manager for the Austin area Car-X stores, said in
a company press release that its patrons in the Austin area “have wanted us to service the Lakeway and Bee Cave area
because our customers know that Car-X Tire and Auto is a
Texas AAA-approved auto repair facility and accredited by
the Better Business Bureau (BBB) with an A+ rating.” Car-
X, whose president and CEO is Roger W. Hill, was founded
in 1971 by a group of muffler shop owners. The chain is
operated by Schaumburg-based Car-X Associates Corp.,
a unit of Tuffy Associates Corp., which operates Car-X as
well as the Tuffy Tire & Auto Service chain. Car-X has 168
franchise locations.
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Cook Named TIA Communications Director. The Tire
Industry Association has named Mark Cook Director of
Communications, replacing Richard Porter, who held the
TIA communications post the past few years. Mr. Cook
comes TIA from the Motor Vehicle Administration within
the Maryland Department of Transportation, where he was
manager of operations research. Before that he was Chief
Information Officer for the Food Marketing Institute and
co-chair of the Publice Affairs Group for the Baltimore/
Washington Chamber of Commerce.
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Just Brakes Chain Expands Services. The Dallas-based
Just Brakes chain has broadened its service offerings
in the company’s Arizona, New Mexico and Lubbock,
Texas, locations to include factory scheduled maintenance
based on auto makers’ service and maintenance
recommendations.While the additional maintenance will
only be available in those markets, the company said it
plans to eventually offer those services to all its locations
over the next two to three years. Just Brakes President
and CEO Bennett Cloud said in a press release that the
company is “driven by safety and service, and I am excited
about expanding our service offerings. Now we have the
opportunity to provide a much needed array of services to
our loyal customers, while saving our customers money
by preventing costly repair bills and extending the life of
their car.” He added that the new service enhancement “will also create a perfect opportunity for our company
to service needs of customers from the first oil change to
the time they sell or trade their car in.” Just Brakes said
that it in order to offer factory scheduled maintenance, it
has invested more than $2 million in equipment, systems
and resources “to provide life-extending service like oil
changes, tire rotation and balances, alignments, fuel
system services and other fluid exchanges, like engine
coolant and power steering fluids.” The family-owned
automotive service chain operates approximately 160
locations across the Southern U.S.
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Mislabeled Spare Tires Spur Recall. Volvo Cares of
North America L.L.C. is voluntarily recalling 19,600
vehicles, model years 2006 through 2012, for labels that
contain incorrect information about the vehicles’ optional
accessory spare tire and wheel kits. The recalled vehicles
include C70s models manufactured between Nov. 15,
2005, and July 31, 2011, as well as S60 models made
between July 14, 2010, and April 16, 2011. The misprinted
labels could lead to improper spare tire inflation and
failure, Volvo told the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA).
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Teamsters Sue DOT Over Mexican Trucks. The
International Brotherhood of Teamsters has sued the U.S.
Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), seeking to
invalidate the FMCSA pilot program allowing Mexican
trucks onto U.S. highways. The Teamster claimed in the
complaint filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
District of Columbia Circuit that the FCMSA violated
the National Environmental Policy Act by approving the
pilot program before it even completed an environmental
assessment of the program’s impact.
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Texas Chain Lends Research Support. Aftermarket
Auto Parts Alliance Inc.’s Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper
stores are joining with the Breast Cancer Research
Foundation (BCRF) to raise money for breast cancer
research and awareness. To coincide with National
Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Auto Value/Bumper
to Bumper parts stores and service centers will provide
materials to customers on the importance of breast health
and will serve as collection points for donations to BCRF. The
company will accept donations through Dec. 31 and said it
hopes to surpass its 2010 donation of $50,000.
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Tire Businesses Add U-Haul Service. U-Haul International
Inc. recently added several tire-related franchises to its stable.
Daniel Wyatt Jr., owner of Wyatt’s Tire Removal in Wooster,
Ohio, recently added U-Haul truck and trailer rentals to the
recycling business, that removes unwanted tires. According to
U-Haul, Wyatt’s Tire Removal is now offering customers a
variety of moving equipment and supplies designed specifically
for moving household furnishings, including moving vans,
open trailers, closed trailers, furniture pads, appliance dollies,
furniture dollies, tow dollies and auto transports.
