RNR Tire Express, one of the nation’s leading tire and wheel franchise retailers, concluded its 20th annual franchise conference in Orlando recently. With nearly 300 in attendance, franchisees, store managers, corporate team members, operators and vendors converged for the chance to discuss the franchise experience and what the future looks like for all those in attendance.
The yearly gathering has always afforded the RNR corporate team with the incredible opportunity to recognize the milestones, developments, and growth achieved by franchisees throughout their system. This is done, in part, by awarding a prestigious few with some of the brand’s highest honors: Franchisee of the Year, Faye Sutton Woman of the Year, and Rookie of the Year, to name only a leading few. However, this year the RNR team also unveiled an award specific to the 2023 convention, and specific to a single individual in the room, when they announced Tony Raffo to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.
“I can think of few moments more humbling or memorable in my nearly two decades with the franchise than this,” Raffo said. “RNR gave me the chance to pursue the entrepreneurial lifestyle I’d always wanted, with a business model that allowed me to reach greater depths of success than I ever anticipated could be reached.”
An RNR Tire Express franchisee since 2004, Tony was among the first franchise partners to join the company following its launch in 2000. Fast forward to today, he has amassed an astounding 24 franchise locations across South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. And, with plans to add three more in 2023, he has no plans of slowing down.
“Tony has been a pioneer in the RNR franchise, exemplifying the commitment to community and customers that we’ve built our entire culture around,” said Larry Sutton, founder/CEO of RNR Tire Express. “His role in helping advance the brand across the country, as well as his ability to provide guidance to new and existing franchisees, make him an integral part of our development and, above all else, the deserving recipient for such an award.”
