AKRON, OH – Building on the success of its first Top Shop Awards program last year, Tire Review and presenting sponsor Ammco/Coats have launched a new website dedicated to all aspects of the prestigious North American tire dealer awards program.

The site – www.tirereviewtopshopaward.com – features complete entry information (including an online entry form), key contest dates, prize information, helpful entry tips, a compilation of timely small business-oriented features and detailed profiles of 2007 finalists and semi-finalists. In addition, the site features a gallery of images, print ads and TV/radio commercials from 2007 finalists and semi-finalists, and a look at the advertising and marketing 2007 winner Gatto’s Tire & Service did to celebrate and promote its win.

“Going into this year’s program, launching a dedicated Top Shop website was our number-one priority,” said Tire Review editor Jim Smith. “We want to build the program each year, adding new elements – some large and some small – all with an eye toward making the Top Shop Awards the premier program for independent tire dealers and helping North American grow their businesses.

“While we certainly encourage dealers to use the site to enter the program, there is an extensive collection of materials there that would help any dealer improve their business,” Smith added.

Now in its second year, 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. The 2008 contest is now officially open, and entries will be accepted until July 11. Entry forms and information will be available on the Top Shop website, in each issue of Tire Review magazine through July, and via Tire Review’s website and Hennessy’s website.

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 entered 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 2008 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 2008 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.