100 Years in the Making: The Story of VIP Tires & Service

As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, another proud American company is marking a milestone of its own. In 2026, VIP Tires & Service celebrates 100 years of serving drivers across New England.

Today, VIP is Northern New England’s largest independent tire dealer and automotive service provider, proudly serving customers in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Connecticut. Headquartered in Auburn, Maine, we operate 77 locations throughout the region, including 35 in our home state of Maine.

Our story began in 1926, when Edward S. Quirk borrowed $200 from his grandmother to open a small tire shop called Quirk Tire in Watertown, Massachusetts. That single store laid the foundation for what would become one of New England’s most trusted automotive companies.

As New England grew, so did we. In the 1930s, Quirk Tire began servicing earthmoving equipment used in the construction of Route 128 around Boston. The project spanned nearly two decades, so in many ways, we grew up right alongside the city itself. Today Route 128 is one of New England’s most important transportation corridors, carrying nearly 200,000 vehicles every day and helping shape the Boston area we know and love.

Over the decades, VIP has continued to evolve. In 1965, Quirk Tire opened the first U.S. Bandag earthmover retread manufacturing plant, further strengthening its reputation for innovation and service. In 1985, John P. Quirk became the third generation of the Quirk family to lead the company, continuing a legacy built on hard work, integrity, and customer relationships.

In 2001, we achieved another significant milestone when the Quirk family acquired VIP Discount Auto Center and its 47 retail

locations, creating the company that would become today’s VIP Tires & Service. Since then, we’ve continued to grow, officially becoming VIP Tires & Service in 2012, expanding into Vermont in 2018, and entering Connecticut in 2023. Along the way, we’ve navigated economic shifts, industry changes, and even the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic as an essential service provider.

While much has changed over the past century, one thing has remained constant: our commitment to earning our customers’ trust. We believe in building relationships, not simply completing transactions.

That commitment starts with our people. Across our 77 locations, our stores are staffed by members of the communities they serve. We proudly employ nearly 800 team members throughout New England, including six World Class Technicians, 56 ASE Master Technicians, and more than 260 ASE-certified professionals. Their expertise, dedication, and passion for serving customers are the driving force behind our success.

As we celebrate 100 years in business, we’re grateful to the generations of customers, employees, and communities that have made this milestone possible. The roads may have changed over the last century, but our mission remains the same: to provide the professional, trustworthy service our customers deserve and to keep New England drivers moving for generations to come.

VIP isn’t just another auto service business; we are in the people business. That means serving customers to the best of our ability and putting employees in a position to succeed. Thanks to our Technician Toolbox program, we have kickstarted 144 entry-level careers, providing technicians with the tools they need to do their job. After 12 months with VIP, new Installation Technicians who qualify receive their own toolbox and dozens of other necessary tools, while technicians who have already started purchasing tools can earn a reimbursement to cover the cost. No other company in our industry offers a program like this, giving young people in our communities the opportunity to turn an interest in automotive service into a meaningful career, while finding a place in the VIP Family.

That is the word: Family. VIP is a third-generation, family-owned business that treats everyone with the same level of care – from employees to customers themselves. We want customers to receive the best possible service in our industry, whether it’s at our northernmost location in Madawaska, Maine, or our southernmost store in Wallingford, Connecticut – a distance of 612 miles, or about a 10-hour, 17-minute drive.

That commitment has always been about more than fixing cars. We strive to earn customers for life by remembering that the trust of our customers is earned, never given – one visit, one repair, and one relationship at a time. It’s a philosophy that has resulted in more than 55,000 positive customer reviews, and more importantly, generations of drivers who continue to choose VIP year after year.

Our responsibility doesn’t end when customers leave our stores. As a family business, we believe in giving back to the communities that have supported us for the past century. Since 2008, VIP has proudly partnered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, raising nearly $2 million to help grant more than 275 wishes for children with critical illnesses. Supporting our neighbors has always been part of who we are, and we look forward to continuing that commitment for generations to come.

As we celebrate our centennial, we’re proud of how far we’ve come, but even more excited about where we’re headed. If there’s a secret to 100 years of success, it’s simple: always try to do a little more, a little better, for the people who matter most. Looking back to our humble beginnings in 1926, we see VIP’s first 100 years not as the finish line, but as the foundation for everything still to come. The best is yet to come.