How a century of service transformed a family legacy into a regional powerhouse

John Quirk is a fourth-generation tire dealer with a storied history. His grandfather started in the tire industry opening Quirk Tire in Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1926. Back then, the business grew with the advent of the Interstate Highway System and serviced mainly commercial and off-the-road tires.

But as transportation evolved, so did the business. By 1985, John’s father, Edward S. Quirk, retired, and in June of that year, John left the computer sales industry, returned home to Boston from Manhattan and took over the business as President & CEO. 

Two weeks after Sept. 11, 2001, Quirk Tire purchased VIP Discount Auto Center and the two firms were merged. John decided to keep the VIP name thanks to its tremendous brand recognition throughout New England, changing the name in 2004 to VIP Parts, Tires & Service, and again in 2012 to VIP Tires & Service when the parts division of VIP was sold to O’Reilly Auto Parts. 

Today, VIP Tires & Service operates 70 locations, with 50 of those co-occupied by both VIP Tires & Service and O’Reilly Auto Parts, and on March 1, 2024, VIP opened its first store in Connecticut with the acquisition of Joe’s Tire Shop in Waterbury, CT. 

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