You may have heard of Sun Auto Tire & Service. The company, formerly known as GB Auto Service, started in 2017 and just last year, it had record growth, doubling in size after acquiring 11 new automotive service brands in 12 new states. Currently, the company, backed by private equity firm Leonard Green & Associates, has more than 350 locations and is looking for opportunities to expand.

In this episode of What’s Treading with Tire Review, presented by AAPEX 2022, we’re joined by Tony Puckett, the company’s CEO, to review Sun Auto’s 2021 growth and what to expect in 2022. A 35-year Valvoline veteran, Puckett most recently served as head of Valvoline’s Quick Lube division where he oversaw the growth of that business from 900 to 1,500 locations. He joined Sun Auto in September 2021 and has been involved in another period of record growth for the company. In this episode, Puckett speaks about:

- The aspects of the company he credits for the growth of Sun Auto doubling in size in 2021 (1:10)
- Tactics and strategies he learned from growing Valvoline Quick Lube that he has applied to Sun Auto’s growth (2:20)
- How Sun Auto acquires tire businesses and reasons why he feels dealers partner with Sun Auto (4:50)
- The ways Sun Auto spreads best practices among its acquired locations (7:39)
- How Sun Auto is tackling the challenge of labor and qualified technicians in the tire industry (10:45)
- How he sees Sun Auto growing its geographic footprint in 2022 and beyond (16:35)

Listen to What’s Treading with Tire Review, presented by AAPEX 2022, here or subscribe to the podcast on:

- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-treading-with-tire-review/id1470309726

- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1GA3lp6AFo7V7EEG5awHaE

- Google Podcasts: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Iv76bs6re7unom4p76myj3cakhm

- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rYE1NOtnlw&list=PLVkqUUE022sdAVQ6DuHU8cxd3FS2ni9vA