Savannah Tire and Rubber Co., which does business as Savannah Tire, Brake and Alignment Centers, has been sold to Express Oil Change & Service Center LLC, a Birmingham, Alabama-based fast lube chain and franchisor. The sale of the nine-store dealership based in Savannah, Georgia, was effective at midnight on March 16, 2015. Savannah’s chief operating officer, Trey Cook, announced the sale on the company’s Facebook page.
“We are pleased to announce that Express Oil has purchased Savannah tire, effective at midnight tonight,” Cook said. “The Savannah Tire name, employees and management team will remain the same and you should see a smooth transition. Based in Birmingham, Alabama, Express Oil is a quality company and we hope you give them the opportunity to earn your business. I expect them to carry on the Savannah Tire tradition of taking care of our customers and employees. It has been our family’s honor for three generations to serve you and to now leave you in good hands with the new owners.”
Savannah Tire was established by M.J. Kicklighter in 1951. The company employs 160 people and is part of the Tire Pros dealer program of American Tire Distributors Inc.
In 2013, Express Oil Change & Service Center acquired Tire Engineers, a Birmingham-based, 66-year-old family-owned tire and auto service dealership. The company said the Tire Engineers acquisition has become a launching pad for Express Oil into the tire business. New stores will be co-branded with the Tire Engineers name, and existing stores rebranded to Express Oil Change and Tire Engineers.
