Auto tire aggregator models explained by Ray
Sun Auto's purchase of Highland Tire pushes the network past 575 locations. I break down what this aggregator model means for your shop's future.
Ray Donnelly
13 min readService
Ray Donnelly
13 min readAftermarket AI: Why Margins Are 4x Higher Now
With vehicle age hitting 13 years, I analyze how generative AI helps distributors pivot from reactive parts sales to proactive service ecosystems.
Anna Petrova
12 min read
Technician Shortage: Why a $60,000 Vacancy Beats a Slow Bay
A technician vacancy costs an average shop ~$60,000/month. Why protecting your bay beats chasing the aging-fleet wave in 2026 — plus a pre-promise checklist.
Ray Donnelly
10 min read
SmartBay platform cuts tire labor needs by two-thirds
See how the SmartBay platform triples capacity in a 12-foot bay, cutting total tire service time to roughly 30 minutes per vehicle.
Priya Raman
10 min read
Don't Compete on Price: A Parts Buyer's Margin Read
Don't compete on price: a parts buyer's margin math on missed calls ($3,000-$8,000/week), the talent squeeze, and what cheapness really costs auto shops.
Priya Raman
10 min read
Plaza Tire Collinsville Opening: A Catalog Test, Not a Real-Estate Win
Plaza Tire's 17th Illinois store opens in Collinsville. Why network expansion is a fitment-data and assortment test, not a real-estate win.
Priya Raman
11 min read
America's Tire NY: 1,250 Stores Challenge Local Shops
Ray analyzes America's Tire entering NY with 1,250 stores. Can their free service model survive the Northeast's entrenched local competition?
Ray Donnelly
14 min read
Sun Auto Network's 575-Location Shift
Sun Auto now runs 575 locations. I analyze how their acquisition strategy pressures independent shops on tire pricing and service standards.
Priya Raman
16 min read
Sun Auto's 37-Store Year: The Sourcing Bet Behind the Footprint
Sun Auto Network acquisitions read as sourcing events: what 575 shops and a tech shortage mean for parts buyers, coverage, and demand.
Priya Raman
9 min read
Plaza Tire Expansion: Sun Auto's Bottleneck Is Catalog Integration
Sun Auto crossed 575 stores by buying chains, not building them. The hard part is not real estate — it is merging dirty catalogs and finding crews.
Priya Raman
9 min read
Firestone retail network: Beyond tire rotation
Mark Phillips analyzes how Firestone's 1,800-location network adapts its service model as battery costs drop and maintenance intervals shift by 2029.
Mark Phillips
9 min read
Plaza Tire Network Acquisition: What an Owner Trades for Fill Rate
Plaza Tire Service acquired Main Street Tire in Virden. The real story for an owner: pooled fill rate bought with surrendered control of the shelf and margin.
Priya Raman
10 min read
Aftermarket EV Shift: Stock for the Labor Gap, Not the Hype
The EV aftermarket shift looks like a tire story but is really a labor story. A parts authority on stocking for the 3% technician gap, not the hype.
Ray Donnelly
10 min read
Service Advisor Training: Why Technical Confidence Sells Repairs
Service advisor training works when it teaches the product, not the pitch. Why technical confidence drives repair sales, why the gains fade, and how to keep the
Ray Donnelly
10 min read
Victory Tire's 29th Shop: What a Roll-Up Means for Parts Buyers
Victory Tire's 29th Minnesota shop (Service Garage, Blaine) is a PE roll-up. A parts buyer's read on procurement, the EV-cost myth, and the sell decision.
Ray Donnelly
11 min readTechnician shortage costs shops $60k monthly
With just 3% of staff proficient in EVs, shops face a severe crisis. I analyze how this gap drains $60,000 monthly and threatens service capacity.
Anna Petrova
13 min read
Tire Shop Acquisitions: What 575 Locations Hide From a Seller
Tire shop acquisitions transfer procurement control, not just the sign. A supply-chain read on Sun Auto's Service Street Tire deal and the sell-or-hold math.
Priya Raman
11 min read
Service advisor tactics for AI-driven customers
With 58% of users swapping search for Gen AI, the service advisor must validate algorithmic guesses with physical proof.
Priya Raman
13 min read
AAPEX 2026 Strategy: Navigating 1,400 Categories
With only 3% of technicians EV-ready, AAPEX 2026 shifts focus to urgent workforce training and practical diagnostics for independent shops.
Priya Raman
12 min read
Service programs stop EV obsolescence now
Yves Racette warns shops face exclusion without high-voltage capacity. With 69% ADAS adoption by 2035, structured service programs are your only survival path.
Ray Donnelly
11 min read
Independent Shops and EV Repair: 15-Minute Fix vs 32-Day Wait
Why independent shops beat 32-day dealer EV waits with a 15-minute software fix — and the access, tooling, and staff-retooling costs the panel skipped.
Ray Donnelly
11 min read
Dealer DIFM Share: The Parts-Coverage Bet Behind the Comeback
New vehicle dealers clawed back DIFM repair share with all-makes service and used-vehicle reconditioning. The real lever was parts coverage, not marketing.
Priya Raman
10 min read