AKRON, Ohio — Tire Review magazine has announced the winner of its 2008 Tire Review Top Shop Award.

The Tire Review Top Shop Awards presented by Ammco/Coats seeks to honor the “best of the best” independent tire dealers in the U.S. and Canada.

This year’s Top Shop winner is Atlantic Tire & Service, headquartered in Cary, N.C. The two-location dealership is owned by Anthony Blackman, and has been a fixture in the Raleigh/Durham area since 1998.

Atlantic Tire & Service has 35 full-time employees and a part-time staff of six operating in two stores; the second is located in Durham, N.C. The 100 percent retail business carries tires from Michelin (Michelin, BFGoodrich and Uniroyal) and Bridgestone/Firestone (Bridgestone, Firestone and Dayton), as well as Goodyear.

“We are thrilled to win ‘Top Shop’ this year and appreciate the recognition,” said owner Anthony Blackman. “This prestigious honor reflects the hard work of a lot of dedicated people here at Atlantic Tire and our total focus on superior customer service, excellent training and expertise and a commitment to give back to our communities.”

In addition to the Top Shop winner, three finalists are also honored each year. This year’s finalists include: 

• Pneus R. Guay, based in Jonquiere, Quebec. In business for 53 years, the company has a single retail/wholesale location, with 32 full- and part-time employees. Pneus R. Guay is owned by second-generation dealers Errol, Candyde, Rene, Richard and Claude Guay. 

• Direct Tire & Auto, headquartered in Watertown, Mass. Opened in 1974, Direct Tire has four locations in the greater Boston area and is owned by Barry Steinberg. 

• Lex Brodie’s Tire, Wheel and Brake, based in Honolulu, Hawaii. The company was founded in 1958 by Alexander Brodie and has grown to include five locations across the islands.  

As the Top Shop winner, Atlantic Tire will receive a Coats APX90 tire changer, a $1,500 cash prize, airfare and hotel for two (two nights/three days) to the 2008 SEMA Show, a feature story on their business in the October issue of Tire Review and a specially designed trophy to display in their store.  

The three finalists – Pneus R. Guay, Direct Tire and Lex Brodie’s – will each receive a Coats 1250-3DV tire/wheel balancer, a $500 cash prize, a feature story on their dealership in that same October issue, and a specially designed trophy. 

To be considered for the recognition, entrants were nominated by a 300-word essay detailing why that shop should be considered. From the full group of entrants, judges selected 22 semi-finalists, which were then required to complete an entry form and provide details about their business, including their size, sales mix, merchandising techniques, customer service, training, achievement and their role in their community. From there, eight semi-finalists were chosen for final judging by an independent panel of judges. 

“Every one of our top dealers really exemplifies those attributes and values we stress with every issue of Tire Review,” said Jim Smith, editor of Tire Review. “I think our judges did a great job in selecting four dealers who are a true professionals, and in honoring Atlantic Tire & Service as our 2008 Top Shop winner.”