Trombley Tire & Auto expands into Cortland, Ithaca

CORTLAND - Penn Yan-based Trombley Tire & Auto, Inc. is expanding both its business and its geographic service area with the purchase of two tire and automotive repair stores, one in Cortland and one in Ithaca.

In the process, the two newly acquired stores - Cortland Tire Service, Inc. at 30

John and Sherry Borek, who opened their business 29 years ago, owned Cortland Tire and Ithaca Tire, according to their Web site.

The acquisition of the two new stores - which closed May 1 - boost Trombley's total number of retail tire and service outlets to six.

Trombley and his brother, Edward, secretary treasurer, own the growing Trombley Tire and Auto.

Their father, Richard Trombley, now retired, founded the company in 1958 at 143 E. Elm St. in Penn Yan.

The Trombleys added three stores over the years - 180 Ovid St., Seneca Falls in 1987; 212 Exchange St., Geneva in 1994; and 370 S. Main St., Canandaigua in 1999. The two brothers purchased the family business from their father 10 years ago.

"It has worked out that we've added a new store about every three to four years," Timothy Trombley says. "But this is the first time we've taken over two stores at once."

Trombley says the two new stores will now offer a broader range of tire brands - with daily delivery of tires to all of the stores - as well as a full-service automotiverepair garage.

"About half of our business is in the auto servicing [side]," he notes.

The Boreks remain owners of the Cortland and Ithaca store properties, with Trombley leasing the buildings.

Neither party disclosed the terms of the business acquisition or the leases.

Trombley says the regional Goodyear Tire distributor approached him and his brother in October 2006 and asked whether they might be interested in buying the Boreks' business.

"We knew John [Borek] and the business," Trombley says. Negotiations began in late 2006, with a sale agreement reached earlier this year.

Trombley says the Cortland store currently has six fulltime employees, while the Ithaca store has four full-time workers.

"We hope that number will grow as business increases," he notes. The Trombley Tire & Auto Web site notes the company has 34 employees. The company declined to disclose its annual revenue.

Trombley adds there is little that needs to be changed in the Borek stores.

"We will be updating the tire changer, but he has everything," Trombley says.