Topic: My Tire Store Is Gone

[Trainman]

So drive by my local Tirecraft to book the Pathy for a service and its closed, permanently.  On very short notice as it was open on Friday.

The Tirecraft web site says this:

The Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta granted an Order on April 15, 2008, providing protection for Tirecraft Group Inc. and its subsidiaries under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act ("CCAA"). A stay of proceedings was granted until May 15, 2008.

So looks like we are out on the road hazard warranty and free rotations/changeovers on the 4 sets of tires we have, including the brand new set of Michelin's on the van.

Oh well........   

[initial_D]

That really bites.

Is Tirecraft a chain? And the whole franchise chain went Salmon fishing?

[Trainman]

That really bites.

Is Tirecraft a chain? And the whole franchise chain went Salmon fishing?

Doing a quick count on their web site, it looks like they have close to 300 stores across Canada.  Some are company owned, like the one here in Merritt, while others are franchise.

We had most of our mechanical work done here as well, now I have to find a new shop that I can trust.  We will probably just take the van to the dealer in Kamloops but the Pathy is a bit different in that it needs servicing more often due to the kms driven.

[ovr50]

MMmmmm, interesting. I deal with the local Tirecraft store, KP Tirecraft and they are open this morning as usual. No signs of any impending closure or problems that I can see.

I have dealt with those guys for a long time now, and they have been very good - competitive pricing, and great customer service. Hope they don't disappear.

Maybe the Merritt store was a company store and this one is independently owned just using the "Tirecraft" name (which maybe they will soon stop doing). 

[weebl]

Here's what happened to Tire Craft...

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/business/story.html?id=fb2a7729-77ab-4420-ba9a-641276dfc369

Tirecraft cuts jobs, outlets
Collapse of last-ditch efforts to sell company prompts receiver to close corporate stores

David Finlayson, The Edmonton Journal
Published: 1:32 am

EDMONTON - The Tirecraft Group's receiver shut down its 45 corporate retail stores and the wholesale and retread divisions Monday, leaving hundreds of workers without jobs or severance pay.

Ernst and Young made the move after last-minute efforts to sell the Sherwood-Park based company collapsed over the weekend.

About 330 franchised stores remained open Monday.

Tirecraft's largest creditor, CIT Business Credit Canada Inc., forced it into receivership last Wednesday. CIT holds a $43-million loan.

Employees -- a workforce of about 800 -- were told by e-mail Friday that a deal was pending for North America's seventh-largest tire retailer, but many were sent home when they showed up for work Monday.

"My store manager shook his head and said we were closed," said Mike Guillet, a tire specialist at the 32nd Avenue location in northeast Calgary.

"We've all got mortgages and families, and we get no severance or anything. I've only been there just over a year, but my foreman has more than 20 years with the company."

Monday's news was a shock after the positive e-mail Friday, Guillet said.

The other frustration is that Tirecraft won a national award for outstanding service last year, and its customers are very loyal, he said.

Officials at Ernst and Young, which had been paying workers on a day-to-day basis, were not immediately available for comment Monday.

The employees have been in limbo since the company sought court protection from creditors on April 15.

They thought they had a lifeline when Quebec-based Pneus Unimax announced late last month that it was buying the company. That deal collapsed at the last minute, however, and other potential suitors also bowed out as Tirecraft continued to leak money.

Vancouver real-estate investment companies the Onni Group and the Stern Group expressed an interest in buying it out of receivership last week, and were given until Sunday to present final bids.

A series of setbacks dating back to 2006 left Tirecraft $28 million behind in debt payments earlier this year and unable to get product from its biggest supplier, Michelin.

The slowdown in the conventional oil-and-gas sector, the expense of buying Quebec-based President Tire, and embarking on ill-timed regional expansions were major factors, according to court documents filed by Tirecraft president William Teeple.

[safristi]

..when "The Court of the Queens Bench" pulls tha rubber from outta U....Ya must feel DEFLATED..............

[tenpenny]

I wonder if they were tired out.  Or maybe they've retired.

[Trainman]

Here's what happened to Tire Craft...

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/business/story.html?id=fb2a7729-77ab-4420-ba9a-641276dfc369

Tirecraft cuts jobs, outlets
Collapse of last-ditch efforts to sell company prompts receiver to close corporate stores

David Finlayson, The Edmonton Journal
Published: 1:32 am

EDMONTON - The Tirecraft Group's receiver shut down its 45 corporate retail stores and the wholesale and retread divisions Monday, leaving hundreds of workers without jobs or severance pay.

.....

A series of setbacks dating back to 2006 left Tirecraft $28 million behind in debt payments earlier this year and unable to get product from its biggest supplier, Michelin.

The slowdown in the conventional oil-and-gas sector, the expense of buying Quebec-based President Tire, and embarking on ill-timed regional expansions were major factors, according to court documents filed by Tirecraft president William Teeple.

Well that explanis it, the Merritt store was a corperate owned one, I guess ovr's is a franchise.

Wonder how they got the Michelin's for the van?  Maybe from another store?

Thanks weebl, I think   

[weebl]

Well that explanis it, the Merritt store was a corperate owned one, I guess ovr's is a franchise.

Wonder how they got the Michelin's for the van?  Maybe from another store?

Thanks weebl, I think   

Must be the case, I pass by a location here in Edmonton on my way to and from work, and it was open and busy yesterday.  They are also quite prominently signed as "Pelletier Auto" in addition to the Tirecraft signage.

[ovr50]

Well that explanis it, the Merritt store was a corperate owned one, I guess ovr's is a franchise.

Wonder how they got the Michelin's for the van?  Maybe from another store?

Thanks weebl, I think   

Must be the case, I pass by a location here in Edmonton on my way to and from work, and it was open and busy yesterday.  They are also quite prominently signed as "Pelletier Auto" in addition to the Tirecraft signage.

Right, the one here is a franchise operation. The owners have been in the tire business here for several decades now, store is now owned by 2 sons of original owner. They will no longer be "Tirecraft" but continue on in business under a new name. That's good.

[dorin]

Good thing you didn't get a chance to drop your Pathy off before they went under Trainman.  Imagine the headaches trying to get it back after the closure...

[safristi]

...everyone!!! needs closure.................... ...or else yer left wif LEEKS.... .....

[Trainman]

Good thing you didn't get a chance to drop your Pathy off before they went under Trainman.  Imagine the headaches trying to get it back after the closure...

My wife mentioned that very thing as well.

When we got the new tires for the van, we just dropped off the old ones, on their rims, and gave them some time to get them mounted/balanced.  Then it was just a quick drive and/wheel swap for the winters and done.  Glad we had it done before this happened, not during   

[Ex-airbalancer]

The new store in Kingston is also closed

[safristi]

..well I'll be plucked............

[Trainman]

Some good news, for me anyway on this 

Fountain Tire has bought the old Tirecraft shop here in Merritt and will be doing some renos.  They expect to re-open in a couple of months with most of the same ex-Tirecraft staff.  This makes me happy for sure.

[Schmengie]

Peters Tirecraft closed then re-opened as Peters Tire. Not of great consequence to me as I've never patronized them.

[drivetillidie]

I wonder if they were tired out.  Or maybe they've retired.

wonderful wit is never tireing