Lex Brodie’s Tire, Brake & Service Co., an independent tire dealer with five retail locations in Hawaii, has been named the Winner of the 2016 Tire Review Top Shop Award.

Now in its 10th year, the Tire Review Top Shop Award, presented by Coats, seeks to honor the “best of the best” independent tire dealers in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Lex Brodie’s leadership accepted the prestigious honor at the Tire Industry Association’s Tire Industry Honors Awards Ceremony in Las Vegas last night.

Based in Honolulu with five locations, Lex Brodie’s has been locally and nationally recognized for its commitment to the community and exceptional level of customer service. Founded in 1961 by Alexander (Lex) Brodie, the business is currently owned by LBTC Holdings and operated by employee-owners David Sands (CEO and president) and Scott Williams (executive director of marketing, branding & communications). The company’s 2015 gross sales totaled $18.6 million, solely from retail vehicle service and tire sales across its five locations.

Winning Top Shop honors was well received by the tire dealer after placing as Finalist for the award in 2008 and 2013.

“This recognition validates all of our efforts to try to become the best in class,” said Sands about the importance of being named the best independent tire dealer in North America, but apparently it won’t stop there. “We’ll use this award as a springboard to continue to improve and innovate. We also hope this will show our customers and potential customers that what we are doing on Oahu is considered the best nationally – no reason to go anywhere else!

“Thank you, very much!” he added.

Tire Review’s Top Shop contest evaluates dealers of all sizes and types, honoring independent tire dealers that best epitomize the key attributes and values of a highly successful business, who are an ideal representative of the industry in the areas of: customer service and retention, training and education, merchandising and promotion, professional standards and conduct, appearance, solid business management, community involvement, business growth, achievement and innovation.

“The award shines the spotlight on the most successful businesses in our industry, especially the owners and team members who support that success,” said Tire Review editor Patti Renner. “We see our Top Shop Winners and Finalists as an inspiration for others in our industry. It’s the only award of its kind that is independently judged, and this year I think our judges did a great job in selecting Lex Brodie’s Tire, Brake and Service as our 10th Top Shop Winner.”

In addition to the Top Shop winner, three Finalists were honored this year. The 2016 Finalists include:

• Bud’s Tire Pros, with 3 locations serving the Riverside, California area. Founded 20 years ago, the dealership is owned and operated by Bud Luppino.
• Dunn Tire, with 30 retail locations and five wholesale distribution centers in Buffalo and northern New York region including Erie, Penn. Founded in 1973 by James Dunn, the dealership is owned by a group of investors led by Randall L. Clark, president & chairman of the board.
• McMahon’s Best-One Tire, with 3 locations serving Fort Wayne and northern Indiana areas. Founded in 1969 by Patrick McMahon, Jr., the business today is owned by Patrick J. McMahon III, Randy Geyer and Mark Zurcher.

“The level of competition was incredible this year, so I’m very proud of our finalists, among the best-of-the-best tire dealers out there,” Renner continued. “Year after year of this competition, the North American tire dealers continue to raise the bar when it comes to professionalism, dedication and innovation. They work very hard at setting a high standard among businesses of all types – even beyond our industry. They have a lot to be proud of.

“I also want to thank Coats, our presenting sponsor since the very start of this competition,” said Renner. “They’ve been a fantastic partner for this. They embraced this concept from the beginning, and have strongly supported the Top Shop Award program in every possible way.”

As the Top Shop winner, Lex Brodie’s Tire, Brake & Service Co. receives the Coats wheel balancer or tire changer of their choice, a $2,500 cash prize, airfare and hotel for two (2 nights/3 days) to the 2016 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 wheel balancer or tire changer of their choice, a $1,000 cash prize, a feature story on the dealership in the October issue, and a specially designed finalist trophy.

For the 2016 Top Shop Award, Tire Review accepted entries from January 1 through July 3. From the full group of over 130 entrants, judges selected 25 semi-finalists, which were then required to complete an extensive entry form and provide details about their business, including: 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.