AKRON, Ohio — Entries are now being accepted for the 2009 Tire Review Top Shop Awards presented by Ammco/Coats, which seeks to honor the “best of the best” independent tire dealers in the U.S. and Canada.

Now in its third year, the contest is now officially open, and entries will be accepted until midnight on July 10.

Entry forms and information are now available via the Top Shop Awards website at www.tirereviewtopshopaward.com. Entries can be submitted online.

“Over the first two years of this contest, tire dealers everywhere have told me how excited and honored they are to participate in this program,” said Jim Smith, editor of Tire Review. “They appreciate the fact that the Top Shop Awards is for dealers of all sizes and types, and spotlights independent tire dealers that epitomize the attributes and values we stress in every issue of Tire Review: exemplary customer service and retention, training and education, merchandising and promotion, professional standards and conduct, appearance, solid business management, community involvement, growth and achievement.”

Perfect examples of those attributes came in the form of the 2008 winner Atlantic Tire & Service in Cary, N.C., and 2007 Top Shop winner Gatto’s Tires & Auto Service, headquartered in Melbourne, Fla. Both winners are profiled on the Top Shop website.

“Winning the prestigious Top Shop Award reflects the dedication and hard work of our staff,” said Anthony Blackman, owner and president of Atlantic Tire. “Of course we’re extremely grateful to our customers for all their support. Our pledge to them is that we will continue to make customer service and community involvement the cornerstones of our business.”

“My father started this business in 1972 with the simple premise that we don’t sell tires and service, we sell peace of mind and make vehicles safe for our customers,” said Pam Gatto, CEO of Gatto’s Tires & Auto Service. “It is exciting to win Top Shop and know that this premise and our commitment to the community is recognized and celebrated.”

“We are extremely excited about continuing as the presenting sponsor for the 2009 Top Shop Awards,” said Kevin Keefe, vice president of marketing for Ammco/Coats. “The Top Shop Awards emphasizes THE key drivers of success for just about any business, and it’s an award we believe brings much deserved recognition to the many successful business people in our industry.”

Dealers can nominate their own businesses, or others can nominate tire dealer businesses. The entry process is simple: Those making the nomination need to provide basic information about the dealership being nominated and write a short (300-word maximum) essay explaining why that dealership should be considered.

From there, all entrants will be reviewed and a group of semi-finalists selected. Those semi-finalists will be asked to provide additional information for judging. A panel of judges, including industry professionals and a member of the Tire Review staff, will select the four finalists and, ultimately, the 2009 Top Shop Award winner.

The awards are as outstanding as the dealers selected:

• The Grand Prize Winner will receive a Coats APX90 tire changer, $1,500 in cash, airfare and hotel for two (2 nights/3 days) to the 2009 SEMA Show, a feature story in the October issue of Tire Review, and a Top Shop trophy to display in their dealership.

• Three Finalists will each receive a Coats 1250-3DV tire/wheel balancer (featuring on-board training), $500 in cash, a feature story in the October issue and a specially designed finalist trophy.