Monro Muffler Brake
Monro Muffler Brake, now operating as Monro, is a United States automotive maintenance, repair, and tire-service company.
Last updated October 14, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Monro Muffler Brake is the former name of Monro, Inc., a Rochester, New York-based automotive service company. It began in 1957 when Charles J. August established a muffler shop as a franchise of Midas Muffler. During the 1960s, August concluded that the business needed to provide more than exhaust-system work. He ended the Midas relationship in 1966 and, with his brother Burton S. August and Sheldon Lane, created an independent chain named Monro Muffler. The name was derived from Monroe County, New York, with the final “e” omitted. Brake service was added several years later, leading to the Monro Muffler Brake name. The company initially expanded cautiously in upstate New York, reaching approximately 20 stores by 1977 and about 43 stores by the end of 1979. In 1984, August sold his controlling interest to an investor group led by Donald Glickman and Peter J. Solomon, although he remained on the board until 2002. Monro went public in 1991, when its shares began trading on NASDAQ under the symbol MNRO and the chain had grown to 143 locations. During the 1990s and 2000s, Monro shifted from a predominantly muffler-focused operation into a broad automotive aftermarket business. Under chief executive Larry Day, the company pursued rapid growth, later acquiring the 205-location United States operation of Speedy Muffler King in 1998. That transaction expanded the store base substantially but also contributed to financial and integration difficulties in 1999. The company subsequently built a significant tire business through acquisitions including Kimmel Automotive, Mr. Tire, Tread Quarters, ProCare, Valley Forge Tire & Auto Centers, Craven Tire & Auto, Autotire Car Care Centers, Tire Warehouse, Ken Towery’s Tire & AutoCare, Curry’s Auto Service, Tire Choice, Car-X, Kost Tire and Auto Care, and other regional operators. By the 2010s, Monro operated a multi-brand network offering tires, brake work, exhaust and undercar services, wheel alignment, oil and other fluid services, inspections, and general vehicle maintenance and repair. Its regional banners included Monro Auto Service & Tire Centers, Mr. Tire Auto Service Centers, Tread Quarters Discount Tire Auto Service Centers, Autotire Car Care Centers, Ken Towery’s Tire & AutoCare, Tire Warehouse Tires for Less, and Tire Barn Warehouse. In 2017, the corporation changed its legal name from Monro Muffler Brake, Inc. to Monro, Inc. to reflect its wider service portfolio. The change accompanied the company’s sixtieth anniversary and its crossing of the $1 billion annual-sales threshold. Monro continued its geographic expansion through acquisitions in the Midwest, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, California, Nevada, and Idaho. In 2015 it acquired the Car-X brand and continued operating its locations as a franchise network. In 2019, acquisitions in California and Louisiana helped bring the system to more than 1,280 stores across 32 states. The company reported servicing 6.2 million vehicles in 2019, with record sales and net income reported for that year. It later consolidated its retail identity around several service and tire banners while retaining regional names where they supported local market recognition. Leadership and strategic priorities changed in the 2020s. Brett Ponton left the chief executive role in 2020, after which chairman Robert Mellor served as interim chief executive. Monro appointed Michael Broderick president and chief executive officer in 2021. In 2022, the company sold its Tires Now distribution business to American Tire Distributors. In April 2025, the board replaced Broderick with Peter Fitzsimmons and assigned him a performance-improvement mandate. The company also disclosed a data breach and faced a related class-action lawsuit. In May 2025, after reporting a sales decline, Monro announced plans to close 145 underperforming stores. As of 2025, the company was described as operating approximately 1,260 locations, making it one of the largest automotive-service chains in North America.
History
Monro began in 1957 as a Midas Muffler franchise founded by Charles J. August. In 1966, August, Burton S. August, and Sheldon Lane separated the operation from Midas and launched Monro Muffler, named after Monroe County, New York. The company broadened its services to include brakes and adopted the Monro Muffler Brake name. Its early growth concentrated on upstate New York, where it reached about 20 stores by 1977 and approximately 43 by the end of 1979. In 1984, Charles August sold his controlling stake to an investor group led by Donald Glickman and Peter J. Solomon. Monro completed its initial public offering in 1991 and began trading on NASDAQ as MNRO. Expansion accelerated during the 1990s, including the purchase of 205 Speedy Muffler King locations in 1998. The transaction increased scale but produced integration and financial challenges the following year. During the 2000s and 2010s, Monro transformed into a national automotive aftermarket operator. It acquired tire and service chains in the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest, and other regions, including Kimmel Tire & Auto, Tread Quarters, Mr. Tire, ProCare, Autotire, Tire Warehouse, Ken Towery’s, Tire Choice, Car-X, and Kost Tire and Auto Care. Acquisitions allowed Monro to offer tires and general maintenance alongside its traditional exhaust and brake work. By 2013, it had 937 stores in 22 states; later acquisitions expanded the network into Florida, Michigan, Georgia, California, Louisiana, Nevada, and Idaho. In 2017, the corporation adopted the name Monro, Inc., signaling that its business had outgrown the original muffler-and-brake description. The company continued consolidating its various banners while maintaining regional names such as Mr. Tire, Tread Quarters, Tire Choice, Ken Towery, Tire Warehouse, and Tire Barn Warehouse. In 2019, it reported servicing 6.2 million vehicles and operating 1,288 stores in 32 states after a series of acquisitions. Leadership changed during the next phase. Brett Ponton departed in 2020, with chairman Robert Mellor serving temporarily as chief executive. Michael Broderick became president and chief executive in 2021. Monro sold its Tires Now distribution operation to American Tire Distributors in 2022. In 2025, Peter Fitzsimmons succeeded Broderick with a mandate to improve performance. That year also brought a data-breach-related class-action lawsuit and a plan to close 145 underperforming stores. The company was described as having approximately 1,260 locations as of 2025.
- 2025
Leadership transition and store-closure plan
[1]Peter Fitzsimmons replaced Michael Broderick, while Monro announced a plan to close 145 underperforming stores.
- 2022
Tires Now sold
[1]Monro divested its Tires Now distribution brand to American Tire Distributors.
- 2021
Michael Broderick becomes chief executive
[1]Monro appointed Michael Broderick president and chief executive officer.
- 2019
Network reaches more than 1,280 stores
[1]Acquisitions in California, Louisiana, Nevada, and Idaho brought the reported network to 1,288 stores in 32 states.
- 2017
Corporate name changed to Monro, Inc.
[1]The company adopted Monro, Inc. as its corporate name to represent its broader automotive-service portfolio.
- 2015
Car-X acquired
[1]Monro acquired the Car-X brand and continued operating its locations as franchises.
- 1998
Speedy Muffler King acquisition
[1]Monro acquired all 205 Speedy Muffler King locations in the United States.
- 1991
Initial public offering
[1]Monro shares began trading publicly on NASDAQ under the symbol MNRO.
- 1984
Controlling interest sold
[1]Charles August sold control to an investor group led by Donald Glickman and Peter J. Solomon.
- 1966
Independent Monro Muffler launched
[1]August ended the Midas affiliation and established Monro Muffler with Burton S. August and Sheldon Lane.
Products and positioning
A large, multi-brand United States automotive aftermarket platform combining neighborhood repair shops, tire retailers, and service centers. The business evolved from muffler and brake repair into preventative maintenance, general repair, tire replacement, alignment, and other undercar services, using acquisitions and regional brands to build geographic scale.
Automotive service centers
Monro Auto Service & Tire Centers
The core Monro service format provides general automotive maintenance and repair, tire sales and installation, brake work, exhaust service, wheel alignment, and other undercar services. It represents the company’s evolution from a specialist muffler chain into a broader vehicle-service network.
Tire and automotive service
Mr. Tire Auto Service Centers
Mr. Tire is a regional tire and repair banner used across multiple states. Its stores combine replacement tires with routine maintenance, brake and suspension work, alignment, and general repair, giving Monro a recognizable tire-led format in markets obtained through acquisitions.
Tire and automotive service
Tire Choice
Tire Choice is one of Monro’s tire-focused regional brands. The format sells and installs replacement tires while also providing maintenance and repair services. Several acquired chains, including Gold Coast and Martino, were reopened under the Tire Choice identity.
Automotive service franchise · 2015
Car-X
Car-X joined Monro’s portfolio in 2015 and continued operating as a franchise network. The brand provides general vehicle repair and maintenance, extending Monro’s reach through franchised rather than wholly company-operated locations.
Tire retail and service
Tire Warehouse Tires for Less
Tire Warehouse Tires for Less is a tire-oriented retail and service banner within Monro’s regional-brand portfolio. Its locations combine tire merchandising with installation and related automotive services.
Tire retail and service · 2012
Tire Barn Warehouse
Tire Barn Warehouse is a regional tire and service chain acquired by Monro in 2012. The banner serves customers through tire retail, fitting, and associated maintenance and repair services.
Controversies
2025
Data-breach-related class-action lawsuit
Monro disclosed a data breach in March 2025 and was named in a class-action lawsuit the following month. The available reference identifies the litigation but does not provide sufficient detail about the affected data, settlement, or final outcome.
Brand decisions
2025
Performance-improvement and store-closure programStrategyBackground
After a reported 4.9 percent decrease in sales, the board placed the company under a performance-improvement mandate.
Action taken
Peter Fitzsimmons was appointed chief executive, and Monro announced plans to close 145 underperforming stores.
Aftermath
The plan indicated a shift from network expansion toward operational discipline and portfolio optimization; longer-term results were not specified in the reference material.
2022
Divested Tires NowM&ABackground
Tires Now operated as a wholesale tire-distribution business with facilities serving independent customers in the southeastern United States.
Action taken
Monro sold the Tires Now distribution brand to American Tire Distributors.
Aftermath
The transaction narrowed Monro’s activities toward its retail automotive-service and tire-store operations.
2017
Adopted the Monro, Inc. corporate nameStrategyBackground
The original Monro Muffler Brake name emphasized exhaust and brake work, while the company had expanded into tires, maintenance, general repair, and multiple regional banners.
Action taken
The corporation changed its name to Monro, Inc. and continued operating its retail network under several service and tire brands.
Aftermath
The change positioned the corporate identity around a wider automotive-services portfolio and coincided with the company’s sixtieth anniversary.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/monro-muffler-brake · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled