Automotive Industry News & Insights

Who’s Winning the Battle for Tire-Buying Consumers?

Automotive Aftermarket Investment Banking

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It seems like every issue of Modern Tire Dealer has an announcement of a new acquisition by Monro Inc., Icahn Automotive Group LLC, Bridgestone Americas Inc. and the like. One would assume by reading these that what I call the company-owned conglomerates are “winning the war” for the hearts and minds of consumers, but I would disagree. I think tire dealers are winning right now.

Power of Pricing: Healthy Margins Improve Business Value

Automotive Aftermarket Investment Banking

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My father-in-law, Ed Tuck, was a pretty smart guy. Before becoming a venture-capitalist and founding Magellan GPS, he was a turnaround consultant to failing telecom businesses in the 1980s. (Read “A Sense of Direction,” Ed Tuck and Mike Khaldun, Dog Ear Publishing, 2018.) I once asked him about the first things he did when he took over a failing business. Ed said that first, he’d find the person responsible for the mess and fire that person just to get everyone’s attention. Then once he got their attention, he raised prices.

What Matters Most to Your Store’s Potential Buyer?

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Last month we looked at several important considerations that matter to strategic and financial buyers when looking for an acquisition of a multi-unit tire and service retailer. They were revenue size, geography, the stores themselves, area demographics, and growth trajectory and future prospects.

Sophisticated buyers want to know everything about your business before acquiring it …

Potential Buyers Expect EBITDA to be at Least 10% of Sales

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Last month we looked at several important considerations that matter to strategic and financial buyers when looking for an acquisition of a multi-unit tire and service retailer. They were revenue size, geography, the stores themselves, area demographics, and growth trajectory and future prospects.

Sophisticated buyers want to know everything about your business before acquiring it …

a map of the USA with multiple coloured dots

Maps of the Regional and Super Regional MSOs

The FOCUS Automotive and FenderBender article “Rise of the Regional and Super Regional MSOs” published in FenderBender Magazine in Sept 2018 examines the growth strategies of 15 market leading MSOs in the US, interviewing 3 of its top operators.

FOCUS Investment Banking Represents Travelers Body & Fender Works in Sale

Sell Side M&A Investment Banking

Travelers Body & Fender Works, Inc. has been acquired by Caliber Collision Washington, DC, (September 12, 2018) – FOCUS Investment Banking, a national middle market investment banking firm providing merger, acquisition, divestiture, and corporate finance services, announced today that Travelers Body & Fender Works has been acquired by Caliber Collision. FOCUS represented Travelers Body & Fender Works in this transaction.

Understanding Private Equity Investments in the Tire and Service Business

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With the recent combination of private equity-owned Mavis Tire Supply Corp. and Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers (Express Oil Change LLC), it’s a good time for tire dealers to understand how private equity plays the acquisition game differently than strategic acquirers like Monro Inc.

Private equity groups raise large amounts of money from institutions, …