Celebrating Employee Ownership Month: One Year as a 100% Employee-Owned Company

As we celebrate Employee Ownership Month and Sullivan Tire’s first year as a fully employee-owned business, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the impact this milestone had on our teams, our customers, and the communities we serve.

One year ago, the Sullivan family made the exciting announcement that Sullivan Tire had become a 100% employee-owned company through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). The transition has been transformative, with many expressing support and admiration for the decision. Here are just some of the kind words shared with us following our Employee ESOP announcement last year:

• “It’s a rare case in which a company turned down takeover offers from industry consolidators in order to enrich its workers.” - Axios
  
  
• “There’s still good in this world.” - Greg
  
  
• “Great to see employees being valued over profits. All the best to the Sullivan brothers.” ~Peter
  
  
• “They just gained a customer.” - Bryan
  
  
• “In waves of change across all sectors with intense focus on profit over employee values, positive news like this #ESOP from Sullivan Tire and Auto Service needs to be celebrated more.” - Helena

A year into our ESOP journey, the benefits of employee ownership are becoming clearer by the day. Our teams have never felt more empowered or unified—no matter who you speak to in a shop, over the phone, or at a desk, you are speaking to an Owner of Sullivan Tire. The ESOP benefit fosters a level of commitment and ownership that is rare in today’s workplace. By making every employee a business owner, we’ve seen increased teamwork, dedication, and a deeper drive to deliver exceptional service for the communities we proudly serve.

In addition to strengthening our internal culture, employee ownership is also a powerful tool for attracting top talent and ensuring long-term sustainability. The employee-owned model allows us to invest in our people, ensuring that their success is directly tied to the success of the company.

The impact has been transformative here at Sullivan Tire, and we’re proud to lead by example as part of a growing movement of ESOP companies in the United States. Employee-owned businesses are redefining what it means to be an ethical, sustainable, and employee-centered business. As we continue this journey, we hope to inspire more companies in the automotive service industry to embrace employee ownership and experience the same transformative benefits.

As we move forward into our employee-owned future, we remember where it all began on a little dead-end street in Rockland, MA…

About Sullivan Tire and Auto Service:

Headquartered in Norwell, MA, Sullivan Tire and Auto Service is New England’s home for automotive and commercial truck care with 83 retail locations; 21 commercial truck centers; 14 wholesale distribution satellite locations; two truck tire retread plants; two LiftWorks facilities; and five distribution centers, across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Maine. The foundation on which Robert J. Sullivan started Sullivan Tire in 1955 was, “Treat everyone, customers and fellow employees, as you would a member of your family,” and that tradition continues today. In 2023 Sullivan Tire announced a new Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), turning ownership of the company over to its more than 1,500 employees. For more information on Sullivan Tire please visit www.sullivantire.com.