Les Schwab Tire Centers announces purchase of 9-store Wyoming tire business
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Les Schwab Tire Centers, the nation’s highest-ranked, most customer-focused tire retailer, announced Monday it has reached an agreement to acquire Plains Tire Co., an 80-year-old tire company with nine stores in Wyoming.
Les Schwab will purchase Plains Tire for an undisclosed sum, said Les Schwab CEO Jack Cuniff.
“We opened our first store in Wyoming in Rock Springs in 2019, with plans to grow our footprint over time. With this purchase, we are able to serve much of the state in one step,” Cuniff said. “Plains Tire is a strong and healthy company, and it’s exciting to be able to speed up our growth by welcoming these stores, employees and customers into Les Schwab.”
Plains Tire owner Larry Nicholls said Les Schwab is the right buyer at the right time.
“Plains Tire is strong because our hard-working employees provide the excellent service our customers rely on,” Nicholls said. “Being part of Les Schwab, a company consistently rated the best in the tire industry, will create even more opportunity for our people, and I know our employees, customers and communities will be well cared for. I don’t believe I could have found a better partner than Les Schwab to sell our family’s company to, and I’m excited to watch these stores grow and flourish.”
Les Schwab plans to continue growing organically by opening its own new stores, but also to proactively pursue other expansion and buy-out opportunities, said Chief Administrative Officer Corey Parks, who leads the company’s expansion and development initiatives. “Les Schwab is actively looking for opportunities to acquire other great companies like Plains Tire,” Parks said. “We believe we are an outstanding partner for well-run, highly respected tire dealers who want to see their employees, customers and business well taken care of, and want to grow together with our company.”
No changes will be made immediately for the Plains Tire stores while Les Schwab evaluates how best to integrate the two companies. The sale is expected to close in early August.
About Les Schwab
Les Schwab Tire Centers (www.lesschwab.com) is one of the leading independent tire dealers in the United States, with more than 7,000 employees and 500 locations across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and Alaska. In every market, Les Schwab takes pride in doing the right thing − staying focused on providing superior value and building customers for life. The first Les Schwab stores were opened in small towns and rural communities with one guiding principle: provide our neighbors with high-quality products and unparalleled customer service. This single-minded focus on service continues today. In fact, it’s a driving factor in why Les Schwab has ranked #1 in customer satisfaction for Aftermarket Tire Replacement by JD Power two years in a row.
About Plains Tire
Plains Tire is Wyoming’s largest and oldest tire company, having served Wyoming since 1941. Plains Tire has nine full-service automotive stores - in Laramie, Rock Springs, Gillette, Evanston, Casper, Sheridan, Riverton and Green River.
