American Tire Distributors

American Tire Distributors

Company type	Private
Industry	Automotive parts distribution
Predecessor	J.H. Heafner Co.
Founded	1935 (1935)
Headquarters	Charlotte , United States
Area served	United States
Key people	Ira Silver (President and CEO)
Number of employees	4500 (2024)

American Tire Distributors (ATD) ranks among the foremost independent tire suppliers serving the replacement tire sector. The company manages over 115 distribution hubs, catering to nearly 80,000 clients throughout the United States. It provides an extensive and diverse inventory, coupled with frequent delivery schedules and enhanced services tailored for tire and automotive service customers. ATD employs around 4,500 team members within its distribution network.

In 2024, the organization earned recognition as a recipient of the Environment+Energy Leader Award, received a Stevie® Award for Sales & Customer Service, and garnered multiple honors at The American Business Awards®, including a Gold Stevie® Award in the Company of the Year - Automotive & Transport Equipment – Large category and a Silver Stevie® Award in the Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Solution category.

History

The origins of the company trace back to 1935 with the establishment of J.H. Heafner Co. in Lincolnton, North Carolina. In 1997, it expanded by acquiring Winston Tire Company, and subsequently relocated its headquarters from Lincolnton to Charlotte in 1998. The Winston Tire Company division was divested to Performance Management, Inc. in 2001. The year 2000 saw the acquisition of American Tire Distributors by Heafner Group, which later rebranded as American Tire Distributors (ATD) in 2002.

In 2010, TPG Capital purchased American Tire Distributors. Facing financial challenges, ATD filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October 2018 with the aim of reducing $1.1 billion in debt. The restructuring process was supported by investors such as Wells Fargo, allowing ATD to emerge from bankruptcy by December of that year.

Post-bankruptcy recovery was hindered by the loss of partnerships with several major tire manufacturers. Despite this, ATD reported $5 billion in annual revenue in 2019. In early 2021, refinancing efforts led by Goldman Sachs focused on a $1 billion junk bond deal to stabilize the company’s financial position following ongoing challenges linked to manufacturer relationships.

By 2021, Forbes ranked ATD as the 81st largest privately held company within the United States.

In 2022, American Tire Distributors divested its Canadian operations—National Tire Distributors—to Groupe Touchette.

In October 2024, ATD again sought protection under Chapter 11 bankruptcy, reporting assets and liabilities ranging between $1 billion and $10 billion. The company announced plans to pursue a sale to new ownership as part of its debt elimination strategy.

By March 2025, ATD completed a significant asset sale while maintaining its established brand identity. Ira Silver was appointed president and chief executive officer following this transition.