Robertson Tire & NAPA Celebrate 20-Year Partnership

Twenty years ago, Robertson Tire, now with 13 tire and automotive repair locations, had just four stores in and around Tulsa, Oklahoma. Company President Mark Robertson said, “We had a primary parts supplier at the time, but we bought from others too, including NAPA AUTO PARTS. When NAPA came to us with their IBS (Integrated Business Solutions) program and all its benefits, we decided to take advantage of it because it made the most business sense. There’s been a NAPA IBS location at our headquarters building ever since and each of our stores is a NAPA AutoCare Center. It’s been a very good deal for us.”

Robertson said the advantages of being an IBS customer means having dedicated inventory managed by NAPA, a NAPA manager and two drivers on site, AutoCare quarterly rebates, the Nationwide Peace of Mind warranty, and more. The IBS is in the warehouse at Robertson Tire’s headquarters building where one of the retail stores is located.

“The IBS stocks inventory and delivers product to about seven of our 13 locations. When one of those stores is in need of parts or supplies, it calls our NAPA IBS warehouse and a driver delivers the order to that store,” Roberston explained. “The warehouse receives deliveries every night in order to restock what was sold. Our store locations further away from Robertsons headquarters building, get their deliveries directly from the NAPA store closest to them or the Oklahoma City Distribution Center. The IBS is a very efficient inventory management and delivery system.”

NAPA Oklahoma City General Manager Bruce Carter and his team recently presented Robertson Tire with a plaque commemorating 20 years of the NAPA/Robertson Tire partnership. Carter, who was there from the beginning, said, “In addition to the purchases made out of the IBS, Robertson Tire buys from our local NAPA stores as well, making them a huge customer for NAPA Oklahoma City. Just as important, Mark Robertson and the entire Robertson Tire family are truly great people to work with.”

Family-Owned Robertson Tire

Robertson Tire is a third-generation, family-owned tire and service dealer founded by Ted Robertson in 1962. After nearly 60 years in business, Robertson Tire is headed by Ted’s sons Mark, President, and his brother Rick Robertson who serves as the company’s Vice President. Mark’s son Shane is the company’s corporate development director handling marketing, employee/store issues, and customer service. Mark’s other son Chad is inventory director, and handles all tire buying for the company. And his son-in-law, Jared Hale, manages the payroll and I.T. department for the business. It truly remains a family-run company after all these years.

What began as a two-bay tire shop has grown into one of the most successful independent tire retailers in the country, and is recognized as one of the 100 largest independent tire dealers in the U.S. as well as a valued NAPA customer.

Integrated Business Solutions Powered by NAPA

IBS is NAPA’s vendor managed inventory service that puts a NAPA parts room at a company’s own facility. Inventory is dedicated to the customer’s needs and that means 90% of orders are filled within minutes.

Because NAPA not only manages the inventory, but also owns it, the company pays for parts when they are used. In addition, the IBS customer receives just one invoice per month to streamline the accounting process. IBS customers also count on NAPA for special order tracking and reporting, on-demand fill-rate reporting, and parts cost analysis and transparency.