U.S. AutoForce Buys Tire's Warehouse

The landscape for U.S. tire distribution continues to change, as two more companies are combining forces. U.S. AutoForce (USAF) acquired Tire's Warehouse Inc. (TWI) as of June 1, 2018.

U.S. AutoForce is a division of U.S. Venture Inc., and the company says as part of a "unique strategy," it will retain the Tire’s Warehouse name, company structure, employees and ways of business "for the foreseeable future."

Tire’s Warehouse was established in 1969 by the Helmle family and has continued to operate as a family-owned business ever since.

U.S. Venture also has remained family-owned since its inception in 1951, and the company is one of the largest, privately-held companies in Wisconsin. U.S. Venture distributes petroleum and renewable energy products, lubricants, and tires and parts for the automotive aftermarket.

The merger is the latest twist in tire distribution in the U.S. this year. First it was the joint venture between Michelin North America Inc. and Sumitomo Corporation of Americas. Next came TireHub, the combination of distribution systems for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and Bridgestone Americas Inc. Those changes have shined a new spotlight on the nation's largest tire distributor, American Tire Distributors Inc.

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