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The need for speed

Three Out Of Four Tires Mike Power Sells Are In The Performance Segment

Joy Kopcha By

Mike Power says this about his retail tire shop: “We have the world’s worst location.” His dealership, Bear’s Tires, isn’t on a main road. The business is tucked away in an industrial park where Power says no customer would even think to look for a tire store. And local regulations forbid him from hanging an oversized sign to try to catch the eye of customers who may be in the area.

But none of that bothers Power, who has owned Bear’s Tires since 1994 and has worked there since 1987.

Behind the shop’s two bay doors are four service bays. And for decades, the business was a tires-only operation. Only recently has Bear’s Tires added an alignment rack.

By virtue of its location in San Diego, Calif., Bear’s Tires is heavily focused on high performance (HP) and ultra-high performance (UHP) tires. At least 75% of its business is HP and UHP tires.

That number has been growing over the years, says Power, and he attributes that growth to original equipment fitments.

“I purely believe it’s the auto manufacturers. I always like to use Mini Coopers as an example. When they first came out, they had 15-inch (tires) on them. You can (now) get them with