25-Year Colleagues Open New Gloucester Tyre Retailer

Former Ebley Tyre and ProTyre colleagues John Price and Chris Mullins have resumed a working relationship spanning almost 25 years by joining forces to open a new tyre retail centre in the heart of Gloucester’s busy commercial centre. The new venture, Chris Mullins Tyres, is a £250,000 investment in a 5000 sq ft centre specialising in car, motorcycle, 4×4 and van tyres on the city’s Bristol Road, a few hundred yards from the ProTyre centre which Mullins managed for 10 years.

The pair first met while working for the west country independent group Ebley Tyres in 1985 and their career paths ran in parallel when both moved on to ProTyre in the late 1990s. Price owned and managed centres in Gloucester, Bristol and Alcester before selling his interests in the company in early 2006, while Mullins looked after the flagship centre in Gloucester until late last year.

“Chris and I had always worked well together over many years so when he approached me to help him start up a new business I was naturally keen to be involved,” explained Price. “The more I found out the keener I was to invest in the business and we have been really pleased with the response from customers in our first few months of trading,” he added.

“It’s just like old times,” said Chris Mullins, “only this time it’s my business and John is providing fantastic support as an investor and hands-on business partner and advisor. Opening any new business is a risk, especially in the current economic climate, but drivers still need tyres and we’ve had a great response from customers who value real service and independent advice.”

Motorcycle tyres are a speciality of the new business, with the ride-in-ride-out service proving popular with the local biker community. As part of the original capital investment, the centre has been equipped with the latest wheel alignment equipment from Pro Align and state-of-the-art fitting and balancing equipment from leading supplier Hofmann Megaplan. A full range of car, 4×4, bike and van tyres from all leading manufacturers is available, although the pair say brands such as Avon and Nexen are proving particularly popular.

“Between us we know the tyre business extremely well and are confident that we will make a real success of the venture,” says Chris Mullins. “We’ve been delighted with the welcome and encouragement we have received from many of the suppliers we have done business with over the years and look forward to expanding those relationships as the business continues to expand and flourish.”