Phoenix retail tire dealer Community Tire Pros & Auto Repair, already honored twice in the program, was named the winner of the 2013 Tire Review Top Shop Award. Community Tire Pros was selected as a Top Shop Finalist in both 2007 and 2010.

Completing its seventh year, the Tire Review Top Shop Award, presented by Ammco/Coats, seeks to honor the “best of the best” independent tire dealers in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Community Tire Pros is owned by Howard Fleischmann Sr.; his wife, Pat Fleischmann; Howard Fleischmann Jr.; and partners Kim Sigman and Claude Case.

The six-store independent retail and commercial dealer has been in business for 22 years, and reported gross sales for 2012 of $10.2 million. Community Tire Pros claims 70% of its business from retail sales and 30% from a wide range of commercial accounts, from local construction firms to Class 7-8 trucks. While the mix varies from location to location, Community Tire Pros said 53% of its sales are tires and 47% come from vehicle service work.

“It means that what we’re doing is making a difference for our customers and our people,” says Howard Fleischmann Sr., CEO. “This is an award that all of our Community Tire family can celebrate because this is an award that our team earned. They buy in and execute our vision. It’s stated on the walls in each store, and serves as a daily reminder to the teams:’Do the Right Thing,It Will Gratify Some and Astonish the Rest!’”

“Once this sinks in, it will really, really mean a lot to the entire team, and it’s going to mean a lot to us in the future,” according to Kim Sigman, head of operations and training and a partner in the business. “We’re going to be able to hang our hat on that when we’re talking to this guy who wants to come work for a first-class company. We’ve won so many local awards, and they are all important, but this is a national award and I’m blown away.”

In addition to the Top Shop winner, three Finalists were also honored this year. This year’s finalists include:
 
•    Tecnicentro Royal S.A. de C.V., better known as Tersa Llantas, with 95 retail and wholesale locations, based in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. The 31-year-old business was founded and is owned by Rodrigo Valle Hernandez.

•    Hornsby Tire & Service Center, with a single retail and commercial location in Newport News, Va. Founded in 1935, Hornsby Tire is owned by third-generation dealers Mark and David Hornsby.

•    Lex Brodie’s Tire Co., based in Honolulu, Hawaii. Founded in 1961 by recently elected Tire Industry Hall of Famer Lex Brodie, the dealership has eight retail locations and was a Tire Review Top Shop Award Finalist in 2008.

“Every year the Top Shop Award Winner proves to be a tremendous inspiration for our entire industry, and I think our judges did a great job in selecting Community Tire Pros as our seventh Top Shop Winner,” said Tire Review editor Jim Smith. “More impressive was the fact that our three Finalists were every bit a brilliant. The entire independent tire dealer body and those companies that rely on them should take the time to congratulate these outstanding dealers, and take heart in knowing that the level of professionalism, dedication and innovation continues to rise among North American tire dealers.”

“We certainly want to thank Ammco/Coats, which has been our presenting sponsor for seven years now, and they have never wavered in their support,” said Smith. “They believed in this concept from the start, and have strongly supported the Top Shop Award program in every possible way. We could not have better partner.”

As the Top Shop winner, Community Tire Pros receives a Coats APX90 tire changer, a $1,500 cash prize, airfare and hotel for two (2 nights/3 days) to the 2013 Global Tire Expo/SEMA Show in Las Vegas, a feature story on their business in the October issue of Tire Review, and a specially designed trophy to display in their stores.

Three Finalists will each receive a Coats 1250-3DV tire/wheel balancer, a $500 cash prize, a feature story on the dealership in the October issue, and a specially designed finalist trophy.

For the 2013 Top Shop Award, Tire Review accepted entries from Jan. 1 through July 8. From the full group of some 85 entrants, judges selected 20 semi-finalists, which were then required to complete an extensive entry form and provide details about their business, including their size, sales mix, merchandising techniques, customer service, training, achievement, and their role in their community. From there, eight semi-finalists were chosen for final judging by an independent panel of judges.