Monro Muffler Brake
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive services |
| Founded | 1957 |
| Founder | Charles J. August, Burton S. August, Sheldon Lane |
| Headquarters | Rochester, New York , United States |
Area served | North America (32 states as of 2019) |
Key people | Peter Fitzsimmons (CEO, 2025–present) |
| Products | Automotive repair and tire services |
Monro, Inc. is a provider of automotive services established and based in Rochester, New York, United States. By 2025, Monro operates 1,260 outlets, making it the second-largest automotive service company in North America in terms of both the number of locations and revenue.
The corporation oversees several regional brands, such as Monro Auto Service & Tire Centers, Mr. Tire Auto Service Centers, Tread Quarters Discount Tire Auto Service Centers, Autotire Car Care Centers, Ken Towery's Tire & AutoCare, Tire Warehouse Tires for Less, and Tire Barn Warehouse.
Founding and early development
Established in 1957 by Charles J. August initially as a Midas Muffler franchise, the business shifted its focus in the mid-1960s to broaden its service range. In 1966, August terminated the Midas affiliation and co-founded Monro Muffler with his brother, Burton S. August, and Sheldon Lane, naming the company after Monroe County, New York. The firm subsequently incorporated brake repair services and updated its name to Monro Muffler Brake, Inc.
Monro experienced consistent expansion, reaching 20 outlets by 1977 and growing to approximately 43 locations throughout New York by 1979, supported by a centralized distribution warehouse.
Transition to public ownership
During the 1980s, Monro accelerated its growth through acquisitions, increasing to 59 stores with annual revenues of $21 million primarily in upstate New York. In 1984, August sold his controlling stake to a New York City investment group led by Donald Glickman and Peter J. Solomon, although he remained on the board until 2002.
Monro went public in 1991 on NASDAQ under the ticker "MNRO," operating 143 locations at that time. Under CEO Larry Day in the mid-1990s, the company doubled its size before Day's unexpected exit in 1998, when Robert G. Gross took over. That same year, Monro acquired all 205 U.S. Speedy Muffler King stores from its Canadian parent company. Despite favorable industry feedback, Monro encountered financial difficulties in 1999 related to integration challenges following this acquisition.
Growth into tire retail
In the 2000s, Monro expanded its presence in the tire market through targeted acquisitions. In 2002, it purchased Kimmel Automotive Inc., adding 34 outlets in Maryland and Virginia. Subsequent acquisitions included five Rice Tires locations and 36 Mr. Tire stores between 2004 and 2005. In 2005, Monro acquired a 13% ownership interest in Strauss Discount Auto’s chain of 101 stores but did not finalize a full acquisition after Strauss filed for bankruptcy in 2006.
In 2006, Monro acquired 75 ProCare shops out of bankruptcy proceedings, converting them into Monro Muffler Brake & Service centers and Mr. Tire outlets. Further expansion occurred in 2007 with acquisitions of Valley Forge Tire & Auto Centers and Craven Tire & Auto adding 19 locations rebranded as Mr. Tire stores; that year CEO Gross was appointed chairman.
Monro continued acquiring additional businesses including 26 Autotire Car Care Centers and 46 Tire Warehouse Central stores in 2009. Between 2010 and 2011, it expanded into Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey, and nearby areas by acquiring Import Export Tire Co., Courthouse Tire, Vespia Tire Center, and Terry’s Tire Town locations.
In 2012, Monro purchased Kramer Tire Co., which operated 20 retail sites plus several wholesale centers; it then exchanged assets to acquire an additional 18 Colony Tire stores. Leadership changes saw Gross become executive chairman while John Van Heel assumed CEO responsibilities. Later that year, Monro acquired Tire Barn Warehouse’s chain of 32 stores across Illinois, Indiana, and Tennessee along with Ken Towery's Tire & AutoCare’s 27-store network in Kentucky and Indiana.
By mid-2013, Monro operated a total of 937 outlets across 22 states. The company also bought Curry's Auto Service in Washington D.C., four S&S Tire & Auto Service Centers in Kentucky, and six Carl King Tire stores located in Delaware and Maryland.
In 2014, Monro entered new markets through acquisitions including Lentz USA Automotive Service Centers and Ken Rock Tire outlets in Michigan; Wood & Fullerton stores in Georgia; and expanded its Florida presence by purchasing 35 Tire Choice & Total Car Care locations. Early in 2015 brought additional acquisitions of Gold Coast Tire & Auto Center and Martino Tire & Service Center under the Tire Choice brand. The company also obtained the Car-X franchise comprising 146 locations across ten states while continuing it as a franchise operation. Other purchases included Windsor Tire stores in Massachusetts along with Kost Tire and Auto Care outlets in New York.
In 2016, Monro acquired Clark Tire & Auto Inc., which operated 26 sites throughout North Carolina as well as eleven stores from independent dealers across five states. In June 2017, Brett Ponton was named president and CEO ushering in a new era of strategic leadership aimed at sustaining growth for the business.
Monro, Inc.
In August 2017, Monro Muffler Brake Inc. adopted the name Monro Inc. to more accurately reflect its broadened range of services. This change coincided with the company's 60th anniversary, the retirement of CEO Gross, and surpassing $1 billion in revenue. The organization pursued expansion through acquisitions, adding 35 new locations between April 2017 and February 2018, followed by an additional 52 stores by early 2019.
By 2019, Monro had serviced 6.2 million vehicles and recorded a record $1.2 billion in sales, generating a net profit of $79 million and earnings per share of $2.41. To enhance its market position, the company unified its retail and tire brands under several banners, including Monro, Car-X, Mr. Tire, Tire Choice, and Tire Warehouse.
Monro entered the California market in March 2019 by acquiring 40 Certified Tire and Service Center outlets. This was followed by purchases of Skip's Tire & Auto Repair Centers and Lloyd's Tire & Auto Care. Additionally, it expanded its presence by acquiring 20 stores in Louisiana and 14 Superior Tire locations across Nevada and Idaho, bringing its total store count to 1,288 across 32 states.
After CEO Brett Ponton stepped down in August 2020, Chairman Robert Mellor took on the role of interim CEO. Meanwhile, activist investor Ides Capital criticized the company’s board for lacking diversity, suggesting it hindered growth potential. In March 2021, Monro acquired Mountain View Tire & Service’s 30 California stores and appointed Michael Broderick as president and CEO.
In May 2022, Monro divested its Tires Now wholesale distribution division to American Tire Distributors for $105 million; Tires Now operated seven distribution centers serving more than 3,500 wholesale clients.
In April 2025, Peter Fitzsimmons succeeded Broderick as CEO with a focus on enhancing company performance amid a class action lawsuit related to a data breach disclosed earlier that year. Following a reported sales decrease of 4.9%, Monro announced in May 2025 plans to close 145 underperforming locations as part of a broader strategic restructuring initiative.