Germany, Italy import legally dubious Brazilian gold, study shows
About 94% of the Brazilian gold imported by Germany and Italy, the main buyers in the EU, has dubious origins, Instituto Escolhas says.
Shared values and a common focus on associates, customers and communities have led to the creation of a dynamic new tire retailing partnership with Royal Tire in Northern Ontario
EDMONTON, Alberta, and SAULT STE. MARIE, Ontario – As part of its growth strategy, Fountain Tire, one of Canada’s premier tire and automotive service retailers, today announced that it has entered into a 50/50 partnership with Royal Tire, a tire retailer with nine locations across Northern Ontario.
The partnership is an important step in Fountain Tire’s long-term strategic plan to expand into new markets from its base in Western Canada. The resources that Fountain Tire brings to the table are expected to enable Royal Tire to drive growth across its consumer, light truck, commercial truck and OTR (off-the-road) tire businesses.
“The opportunities we envision for mutual growth and shared learning make our relationship with Royal Tire very exciting,” says Fountain Tire’s CEO, Brent Hesje. “This partnership is a perfect fit in terms of our shared values of local ownership and concern for the well-being and success of our associates, customers and communities.”
Since the company’s beginnings in 1983, Royal Tire associates have excelled at serving the needs of consumers and commercial tire accounts in the trucking, mining and logging sectors. Royal Tire’s tire and automotive service network includes locations in Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, Marathon, Huntsville, New Liskeard, Wawa and Matachewan.
Together, Fountain Tire and Royal Tire will identify opportunities to grow the business through shared best practices and implementing systems and efficiencies. In particular, the Northern Ontario tire retailer will adopt Fountain Tire’s proven shared ownership structure. Managers who have proven they can offer superior service to their customers will be offered the opportunity to become 50/50 partners in their operation.
“Our shared goal is to surpass the expectations of our valued customers at all Royal Tire locations,” says Phil Shaw, one of Royal Tire’s equity partners. “The new relationship is going to create some amazing synergies. It’s definitely an exciting time to be a Royal Tire associate.”
Royal Tire customers will continue to be served by the associates they have come to know and trust.
“Our partnership with Fountain Tire is good news for our customers,” says Gary Foley, also an equity partner in Royal Tire. “This is very much a collaborative partnership based on common values and the desire to excel at personalized service. In particular, we share Fountain Tire’s belief in the power of shared ownership to attract the best and the brightest people and create the conditions in which superior service thrives.”
About Fountain Tire
Established in 1956, Fountain Tire is one of Canada’s premier tire and automotive service retail networks with 154 locations spanning from Vaughn, in Ontario, to Victoria, British Columbia. The company is also a leading provider of tires and tire-related services to commercial truck fleets and off-road vehicles used in the agriculture, oil and gas, mining, construction and aggregate sectors. The majority of Fountain Tire managers own equity in their store. This partnership-based business model combines entrepreneurial spirit with corporate intelligence to provide customers with service they can trust. The company’s shared ownership business model has enabled it to be named among “The 50 Best Managed Companies” every year since 1994.
