John McCarthy Jr., president of McCarthy Tire Service Co. Inc., was named Modern Tire Dealer magazine's 2019 Tire Dealer of the Year. This is the top award presented to any tire dealer in the country — McCarthy was chosen from 29,000 eligible independent tire dealers across the U.S.

McCarthy is a third-generation tire dealer, and since 1997 he’s served as president of the company his grandfather started in 1926 in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. McCarthy Tire Service proudly remains a family-led organization. Under McCarthy’s leadership, McCarthy Tire Service has grown into one of the largest commercial tire dealerships in the country.

The year before he joined the company full time in 1986, McCarthy Tire Service had five stores which rung up $11 million in sales with 104 employees on the $1.4 million payroll. The company now has 65 service locations and 10 retread shops along the East Coast, from New York to South Carolina and Georgia. This summer it completed the largest acquisition in its history — the purchase of 16 GCR Tires & Service locations, which were owned by Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC. With that acquisition, McCarthy Tire Service’s sales surpass $400 million and the company employs more than 1,300 people.

More than 95% of its business is tied to truck, off-the-road, and industrial tire customers. On top of emergency roadside service, McCarthy Tire Service offers diesel engine repairs, alignments, front-end work and brakes, plus trailer services. It has a fleet of 20 mobile service trucks, too.

McCarthy is featured in the cover story of Modern Tire Dealer’s September issue.

Editor's Note: Modern Tire Dealer, a sister publication of Work Truck, has been the industry’s leading publication since 1919 and is known for its market research and analysis. Both brands are owned by Bobit Business Media Inc., a Torrance, Calif.-based media company that specializes in business-to-business publications, events and websites.