If your local NTB location suddenly closed or changed its signage, it’s easy to assume the whole chain collapsed. That assumption is understandable — but it’s not accurate. What actually happened is more straightforward, and a lot less dramatic.
This article covers what really happened to NTB, who owns it now, why TBC sold it, and what that means for stores and customers. If you’re trying to figure out whether your specific location is still open, we’ll cover that too.
NTB Has Not Gone Out of Business — Here’s What Actually Happened
NTB, short for National Tire & Battery, did not shut down. It did not file for bankruptcy. The chain was sold — and there’s a meaningful difference between the two.
TBC Corporation, the company that owned and operated NTB, chose to sell its entire retail store portfolio. The buyer was Mavis Tire Express Services Corp. That transaction completed on June 1, 2023, according to a press release from Golden Gate Capital. The deal transferred 392 NTB locations and 203 Tire Kingdom locations to Mavis.
Think of it this way: if a privately held restaurant chain sells all its locations to a larger restaurant group, the restaurants don’t disappear. They change ownership. The same logic applies here. NTB stores didn’t close because the business failed — they transferred to a new owner who plans to keep operating them.
A Brief History of Who Has Owned NTB
NTB started under Sears and was spun off as an independent operation in 2003. After that, TBC Corporation took over and built the brand into a network of auto service centers spanning more than 17 states over the next two decades.
The 2023 sale wasn’t actually TBC’s first move to reduce its NTB holdings. Back in 2020, Mavis Tire Supply Co. bought 112 NTB locations from TBC. That was the first partial exit. TBC held onto the remaining stores for a few more years before selling the rest — along with its Tire Kingdom locations — in the 2023 deal.
So by June 2023, TBC no longer owned any NTB or Tire Kingdom retail stores. The company has since shifted its focus to wholesale tire distribution rather than running customer-facing service centers. It didn’t leave the tire industry — it just moved to a different part of it.
Why TBC Sold NTB and What Mavis Plans to Do With It
TBC described the divestiture as the “next step in its growth strategy.” That language matters. This wasn’t a fire sale. TBC is repositioning itself as a wholesale and distribution business, not a retail store operator. Selling the stores was the plan, not a symptom of failure.
Private equity firm Golden Gate Capital was involved with TBC. Their framing of the sale reinforced that this was a deliberate portfolio decision, not a rescue operation.
On the Mavis side, co-CEO David Sorbaro called the acquisition “transformational.” According to reporting in Modern Tire Dealer, Mavis outlined plans to integrate NTB and Tire Kingdom locations into its existing network — covering systems, supply chains, and potentially branding and signage.
There’s also a supply agreement worth noting. TBC and Mavis entered a distribution deal in which TBC continues supplying tires to Mavis’s retail locations. So TBC didn’t just walk away from the stores — it kept a commercial relationship with the new owner. A manufacturer that stops running its own stores but continues supplying the new store owner is still very much in the business. The product just reaches customers through a different storefront.
The acquisition significantly expanded Mavis’s footprint across Florida, Texas, and several mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and Southern states. For Mavis, this was a growth move. For TBC, it was a strategic exit from retail. Both sides got what they wanted.
Why Some NTB Locations Are Closed or Listed as Permanently Closed
This is where the confusion often starts. Someone searches for their local NTB, sees “permanently closed” on Google Maps, and concludes the entire chain is done. That’s not necessarily what’s happening.
Individual locations close for reasons that have nothing to do with chain-wide failure. One example: a Gallatin-area NTB closed because the property was sold to a Toyota dealership after the previous owner passed away. That’s a real estate transaction, not a corporate directive. The store is gone, but not because NTB collapsed.
A similar situation played out near Columbus, Ohio. A Reddit thread noted a local NTB marked as permanently closed, with users speculating about the reason. No official explanation was given. Local closures like that often come down to lease decisions, property redevelopment, or consolidation when Mavis already operates a nearby location.
When Mavis acquired nearly 400 NTB locations, it’s reasonable to expect some overlap with stores Mavis already owned. In those cases, keeping both locations open a few miles apart doesn’t always make sense. Consolidation is a normal part of any acquisition — it doesn’t signal the end of the brand.
What Customers Should Know Right Now
If you’ve been a regular NTB customer, here’s what’s practically relevant to you.
Some stores may have rebranded
You might show up to an NTB and see Mavis Tires & Brakes signage instead. The staff and services are often the same — the name above the door changed. Mavis has been integrating acquired locations into its network, and that integration includes branding in at least some cases.
Check your warranties and service records
If you have open warranties or service plans from when NTB was under TBC, contact your local store directly to confirm what’s still honored. Don’t assume — ask. The transfer to Mavis doesn’t automatically cancel prior agreements, but you should verify rather than guess.
How to find your nearest operating location
The most reliable way to check whether your local store is still running is to call it directly or use the Mavis store locator. Some former NTB locations now appear under the Mavis name. Others may still show as NTB. If Google Maps says permanently closed, it’s worth calling anyway — mapping data doesn’t always update in real time after ownership changes.
What This Means for the NTB Brand Long-Term
The honest answer here is: it’s not fully clear. Mavis hasn’t announced a firm timeline for rebranding all NTB locations. Some stores may retain the NTB name for a while. Others may transition to Mavis branding. Some markets might see a mix.
What is clear is that this is a branding and integration question, not a “going out of business” question. The stores exist. The services continue. The ownership has changed. Whether the NTB name survives long-term depends on decisions Mavis makes internally about brand strategy.
This kind of outcome is common in retail consolidation. When a larger company acquires a smaller chain, the acquired brand sometimes survives as a sub-brand, sometimes gets absorbed, and sometimes gets phased out over time. None of those outcomes mean the business “failed.”
The Bottom Line
NTB is not going out of business. TBC made a deliberate decision to exit retail operations and sell 595 stores — 392 NTB and 203 Tire Kingdom — to Mavis Tire Express Services Corp. The deal closed June 1, 2023. TBC still exists and still supplies tires wholesale. Mavis now owns and operates the former NTB locations and is in the process of integrating them.
If your local store closed, that’s likely a site-specific decision — not evidence that the chain collapsed. If it rebranded to Mavis, that’s the acquisition playing out in real time.
For business owners and managers watching this kind of corporate shift, it’s a useful reminder that divestitures and acquisitions are normal tools in corporate strategy. A sale isn’t a failure. A rebrand isn’t a shutdown. Reading those signals correctly matters — whether you’re a customer, a competitor, or someone watching the market. For more practical business coverage like this, visit Open Business Mag.
If you need to know the status of a specific NTB near you, skip the speculation and call the store directly. That’s the fastest way to get a straight answer.
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