RNR Tire Express sells, rents, installs, aligns, and repairs tires and wheels for every vehicle its customers drive. We currently have over 150 franchise stores and counting.

 Our franchisees drive the brand’s success in customer satisfaction and community service. Among those franchisees are Jeff and Patrina Leland, whose first RNR Tire Express store (in New York state) is approaching its first business anniversary. We recently interviewed Jeff to get the couple’s perspective on franchise ownership.

Q: How long have you owned your RNR Tire Express, and where is it located?

Jeff: We’re brand new, [having started] in January [2021] with our first store in Queensbury, New York, about 50 miles north of Albany.

Q: What makes RNR Tire Express unique?

Jeff: There are many [other] tire stores around us, six within 1.5 miles. However, we are the only ones who offer lease-purchase options. Additionally, we’re one of the only tire stores also doing wheels. That has made us stand out. Lastly, we are family-owned and live locally.

Q: What were you doing before becoming an RNR Tire Express franchisee?

Jeff: We had a third-generation family wholesale business, which we sold in 2019. I still work for that company; my wife Patrina resigned and is now working full time in our RNR Tire Express store.

[When considering what new business to buy into,] I came across a few different tire franchise opportunities and visited several websites. Lease-purchase was a key differentiator. The tires industry was attractive to me because it’s somewhat recession-proof, and it looked like it had the potential for decent income. A local guy I know owns fifteen or twenty tire and service centers. He seemed to do pretty well in the tire business: he built a 12,000-square-foot house near the lake!

Q: Why did you choose RNR Tire Express as opposed to another automotive brand?

Jeff: While I don’t know much about tires, I know nothing about engines. I figured [the tire aspect of cars] was a relatively simple business to learn.

The biggest thing that sealed the deal was when we visited [RNR Tire Express] corporate and we felt the corporate culture. We saw a big fit for us. The franchisees had had a lot of success, were down-to-earth, easy to talk to, and seemed to get a lot of support from the franchisor.

Q: What’s the most rewarding thing about operating an RNR Tire Express?

Jeff: I get a lot of autonomy.

Q: What are your expansion plans?

Jeff: We started with one [shop,] but we’d like to add four more locations within the next 7 to 10 years.

The Leland family is only one example of the many RNR Tire Express franchisees who appreciate our corporate support and the advantages of owning a local tire-and-wheel franchise store—and who are interested in expanding. Over 80 percent of our franchisees are multi-unit owners. We utilize a well-proven business model and have made Entrepreneur magazine’s Best of the Best Franchises List. Our five-year goal is to have 500 franchise units open and operating by 2027—with the help of even more amazing franchisees.

Become a Franchisee

Interested in buying a tire franchise yourself? RNR Tire Express currently has over 150 locations in 26 states—expected to reach 170 locations by the time the 2021 numbers are crunched—with room for many more. We take pride in knowing that every shop is locally owned and community-driven. If you’re interested in getting on board with “The Best Tire and Wheel Concept in America,” request our Franchise Information Report to start today!