TBC Corp. Celebrates 60 Years

TBC Corp. (TBC), one of North America’s largest marketers of automotive replacement tires, headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, is today celebrating the 60th anniversary of the organization.

The company’s story began in 1956 when a purchasing group of tire retailers was formed and collectively became known as Cordovan Associates. In 1972, Cordovan Associates changed its name to Tire & Battery Corp., and just nine years later it went public under the name TBC.

“As we reflect on the past 60 years, it’s apparent that the TBC story is truly one of hard work, adjusting to meet industry trends, exceeding customer expectations and growth,” said Erik Olsen, president, CEO and chairman of the board of TBC Corp. “Throughout the years, we have worked diligently to remain a tire company ahead of the curve. Our history, proven track record of success and continued growth speak to our overall objectives and I am confident that we have the right team in place – nearly 11,000 associates strong – to maintain momentum and to continue our industry leading position for years to come.”

Today, TBC is one of the largest vertically integrated marketers of tires for the North American automotive replacement market, with more than 3,200 franchised and company-operated tire and automotive service centers, nine proprietary tire brands and more than 50 retail and wholesale distribution centers. All of this adds up to responsibility for nearly 10 percent of all aftermarket tires sold in North America, the company noted.

Throughout the years, TBC has grown through joint venture opportunities, expanding operations to Mexico through TBC de Mexico in 1995, and by acquisition, the first being Big O Tires in 1996, now a leading franchise organization. Prior to being acquired by Sumitomo Corp. of Americas (SCOA) in 2005, the largest subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation of Japan, TBC added Carroll Tire Co., a leading wholesale tire distributor in the United Sates, and three retail brands – Tire Kingdom Service Centers, NTB Tire & Service Centers and Merchant’s Tire & Auto Service Centers. Currently, there are nearly 800 company-owned retail locations throughout the United States. In 2012, three companies joined the organization: Midas, SpeeDee Oil Change & Auto Service and R.O. Writer.

Federated Auto Parts Distributors announced it is entering into a collaboration with the Association of Independent Oil Distributors (AIOD) – one it said will focus on mutual benefits for the respective members.

“Federated is constantly looking at ways to improve value for all constituents and this agreement provides that,” said Sue Godschalk, president of Federated. “This collaboration provides added volume and opportunities for our suppliers, new partners for our members, and added supply points and products for shop customers. We have enjoyed working closely with several AIOD members in the past and this agreement will expand and create further opportunities for both Federated and AIOD.”