Mr. Tire
Encyclopedia
The first Mr. Tire is a distributor of tire
Tire
A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground...
s in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It distributes CO-OP brand tires among others, and is controlled by Universal Cooperatives
Universal Cooperatives
Universal Cooperatives, based in Eagan, Minnesota, is a cooperative controlled by 17 regional agricultural marketing and agricultural supply cooperatives. The distribution system includes 110 regional feed mills, 26 warehouses, and 7 research farms...
. It is retailers' cooperative
Retailers' cooperative
A retailers' cooperative is a type of cooperative which employs economies of scale on behalf of its retailer members. Retailers' cooperatives use their purchasing power to acquire discounts from manufacturers and often share marketing expenses. It is common for locally owned grocery stores,...
, whose members owned the company. It was founded in 1970 in Richfield, Minnesota
Richfield, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 34,439 people, 15,073 households, and 8,727 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,993.9 people per square mile . There were 15,357 housing units at an average density of 2,226.9 per square mile...
. As of 2001 the distributor had 102 affiliated dealers in 13 states http://www.moderntiredealer.com/research/0701_top50.pdf.
The second Mr. Tire was also founded in 1970 in Baltimore, Maryland, and comprises over 115 locations in Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina, Pennsylvania & Ohio. They were sold to Monro Muffler Brake in 2004, a company with over 700 stores. The original executives still operate the chain out of Baltimore, Maryland. Mr. Tire was one of the first chains to offer all inclusive tire pricing. Meaning installation is included in their tire price points (Something, even today, most tire stores will charge up to an additional $25, per tire, on top of their advertised price). They copyrighted this "On The Rim & Out The Door."
This organization licenses the Mr. Tire name from Universal Cooperatives.