Victory Tire & Auto Enters Northwest Twin Cities with Strategic Acquisition of Reliable Auto Care

Victory Tire & Auto, part of the Straightaway Tire & Auto network, is making its first inroad into the northwest Minneapolis suburbs through the acquisition of Reliable Auto Care in Buffalo, Minnesota. Completed on April 30, 2025, the deal reflects Victory’s strategic ambition to grow through trusted local partners while layering in the strength of a larger platform.

Deal Summary

• Acquirer: Victory Tire & Auto, an affiliate of Straightaway Tire & Auto, operating multiple repair and tire service locations across several states.
• Target: Reliable Auto Care, a long-established auto repair shop owned by Jeff and Kris Jackson, located in Buffalo, MN.
• Location Footprint: The shop is on a high-traffic intersection in Buffalo, servicing over 25,000 vehicles daily, and features seven service bays.
• Strategic Purpose: Victory intends to maintain local service quality and relationships, while providing Reliable Auto Care with access to resources such as technology, operational management, and training.
• Transition: Jeff and Kris Jackson are stepping away after building the business; Victory’s president Jeff Matt emphasized preserving the established reputation and serving the local community.
• Network Expansion: This marks Victory’s growing presence in Minnesota and aligns with its broader expansion strategy through acquisition.

Industry Context

The automotive repair sector is increasingly consolidating as platforms like Straightaway (with its Victory brand) acquire local businesses. These roll-ups strike a balance: they leverage local trust and legacy businesses while injecting efficiency, operational systems, and broader service capabilities.

Victory’s acquisition strategy is not just about scale; it's about adding strong community shops that already have entrenched relationships, and then enhancing them with a platform’s rigor and resources. This combination appeals to customers who value both familiarity and high service standards.

Lower-Middle-Market Roll-Up Perspective

Analyzing this through a roll-up lens reveals a few key themes:

1. Local Partner Integration: Rather than replacing the local shop, Victory is integrating and scaling it, preserving its identity and customer relationships.
2. Operational Leverage: Victory can bring to bear standardized systems - such as inventory management, training, and technology - to make the business more efficient.
3. Regional Cluster Strategy: Adding a shop in Buffalo gives Victory greater density in the Minneapolis metro, which could lead to operational synergies.
4. Experienced Leadership: The outgoing owners’ deep knowledge of the local market and client base is being retained, ensuring continuity during the transition.
5. Roll-Up Growth Engine: The acquisition is one node in Victory’s broader expansion roadmap, reflecting a disciplined buy-and-build model in a fragmented service industry.

Why This Sector Is Attractive for Roll-Ups

• Fragmented Market: Many repair shops are independently owned, representing white space for scaling via platform roll-ups.
• Recurring Service Revenue: Auto repair and maintenance generate repeat business and customer loyalty.
• Capital Efficiency: Acquirers can invest in improvements that improve margins (training, processes) without overbuilding.
• Legacy Partnerships: Local shop owners often prefer to partner with a platform rather than exit entirely, preserving continuity and values.
• Scalability: Platforms can replicate best-practice operations across regions while retaining the community roots that built those businesses.

Conclusion

Victory Tire & Auto’s move into Buffalo via Reliable Auto Care is a smart execution of its regional growth strategy. By blending the strengths of a community-founded shop with the operational muscle of a national platform, Victory is deepening its presence in Minnesota in a way that respects legacy and drives future scale.

For shop owners, this deal illustrates the appeal of partnering with a larger platform that values continuity and customer trust. For investors, it reaffirms that the auto-repair roll-up thesis - acquiring strong local repair businesses and building regional scale - remains potent in 2025.