Firestone moves into local market

For more than 60 years, Ted Wiens Tire and Auto Center was one of few local automotive retailers that carried Firestone products. The company even displays the Firestone logo on much of its signage at each location.

But now, Ted Wiens is facing increased competition from an unlikely source - Firestone.

The automotive retailer, with 1,620 stores nationwide, has entered the Las Vegas Valley market with its company-owned and operated Firestone Complete Auto Care stores.

Firestone has opened five stores in the last year and has five more under construction, according to a company manager.

"It made sense to enter Las Vegas, which is the last major metropolitan area that our company didn't have a presence in," said Firestone District Manager Carl Gerhard.

Chris Publow, general manager of Ted Wiens, was unavailable for comment Wednesday. Gerhard described Ted Wiens as an independent distributor of Firestone products.

Founded in 1948, Ted Wiens also offers products from other manufacturers like Goodyear, Michelin and General Tire.

Gerhard said it was also the right time to open in Las Vegas because "if you are looking to buy land, it's never going to be cheaper than it is right now." He said the new stores will be a "combination of efforts" with some built from the ground up and others being remodeled locations.

The company plans on opening 20 stores in the next two to three years, he said. Firestone already operates stores in Reno and Carson City.

Gerhard said the expansion is expected to create more than 250 permanent jobs, with more than 90 percent of the jobs being filled by local residents.

He said Firestone's expansion of its own branded stores would create a number of temporary construction jobs for workers building or remodeling stores.

The new stores will also allow Las Vegas residents who may have received service in other parts of the country to use Firestone, he said.

"We are a national company and consumers that now live here may still be under warranty," Gerhard said.

Besides offering Firestone, Bridgestone and Primewell tires, the stores also perform routine maintenance and repairs including tune-ups, oil changes, brakes and battery replacements.

Contact reporter Chris Sieroty at
csieroty@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893.