A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIRE-RAMA

The Company was born on June 17, 1977, with the merger of B.L.M. Tire and Hasty Tire. At that time, B.L.M. consisted of stores in Billings, Great Falls, Helena, Missoula, Anchorage, Spokane, Rapid City and Dickinson. The Company was primarily a Dayton Tire distributor but was also handling Cooper and B.F. Goodrich tires. Jack Hasty had stores in Rudyard and Havre and brought with him the Michelin brand. The combined sales volume for the Company was approximately $7 million.

The name "TIRE-RAMA" was selected nine months later as a means of identifying the new Company to the public. Tire-Rama wasted no time preparing for future growth by acquiring its first IBM computer in 1978. Marginally profitable locations outside of Montana were sold and more stores were acquired closer to home. Yokohama, Bridgestone, Firestone and Centennial tire lines were added in the early 1980's to enhance Tire-Rama's customer inventory offerings.

In 1985, Tire-Rama became the distributor of the "Exhaust Master" muffler line for the state of Montana. The Company's Tire Protection Plan was introduced in 1986 to supplement the warranties of the various tire manufacturers. Interstate Tire Treads was purchased in 1986 and provided the personnel and equipment the Company needed to service the re-treading needs of Tire-Rama's customers. Along with the Bandag system and a large dealer and user base, the acquisition also included a distribution center in Glendive serving customers in northeastern Montana and North Dakota.

In 1988, the Company purchased two additional stores in Missoula and one in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho, from Roemer's Tire Center. The Idaho store was later sold to free up working capital for future acquisitions. Expansion efforts in the fall of 1989 resulted in the purchase of five independent Goodyear Tire affiliates. The addition of two stores in Bozeman, two in Billings and one in Livingston provided Tire-Rama with access to the wide range of products and services of America's largest tire manufacturer. Big Sky Tire-Rama opened in 1990 to accommodate the growing market in Great Falls. In 1991 the Company acquired two former City Service stores in Kalispell. That year also marked the split of Interstate Tire into two separate locations, with the Bandag manufacturing plant moving to a larger building near downtown Billings and the sales and service facility to a new location near Interstate 90.

1992 was a year of transition as Tire-Rama moved its Livingston operation to the former Park Tire location nearby. The Glendive wholesale operation moved into a larger warehouse across town to accommodate the large sales increases in that area. A new service center was also completed in downtown Billings to replace the older facility next door and the Company's third move was completed by year end. In July, Jack Hasty stepped down as President and was honored at a special surprise dinner attended by more than 200 people. Chuck Patrick moved to Billings to assume the reins and Jack took over as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Tire-Rama added an Employee Stock Ownership Plan and a 401(k) Retirement Savings Account to provide additional retirement income to long-term employees of the Company. In late 1993, the Company opened a commercial service center in northwest Great Falls

Expansion continued into 1994 as Tire-Rama moved its corporate office and warehouse to a 5-acre site in west Billings. Additional warehouse space (29,000 square feet) was added later that year creating the largest and most efficient tire distribution center in the state of Montana. Tire-Rama further expanded in 1996 with the purchase of a service center in Glasgow and a commercial site in Belgrade. A new location in Kalispell was built and opened in the spring of 1997. In the fall of 1997 the Company acquired the former L.P. Anderson Tire store in Miles City. 2000 found the company increasing its commercial presence in Helena with the opening of a truck tire center. In 2001 the Fort Benton location was purchased from Ivan’s Tire; a Strategic Planning Committee was formed and began implementation of a pilot area management program. During 2002 the Helena Commercial Truck Center was merged with the existing store and the Kalispell West store moved to a new, improved location – the former Weissman location. A new AS/400 and Point of Sale (POS) software package were purchased in order to update and streamline our sales and receiving processes for improved efficiency. The Company also celebrated its 25th Anniversary by introducing a new logo commemorating our ongoing success and acknowledging our commitment to the future.

In April 2003 Tire-Rama’s Helena location moved to its new location at 1601 Cedar Avenue. There was a need to upgrade this operation to better serve the community with a more efficient and spacious facility. On August 1, 2003 Tire-Rama purchased Bakke Tire Services three Missoula stores and the Hamilton location. Through an acquisition in November 2003, XL Tire and Automotive in Sheridan, Wyoming became location number 31 in our network of stores. Expanding into Wyoming, XL is the first Tire-Rama retail presence outside the borders of Montana in the past twenty years. 2004 marks the inception of our Central Warehouse located in Billings, Montana to serve our various locations. With the Central Warehouse, Tire-Rama will be able to manage inventory and product more efficiently and represent cost savings and improved services to their customers.

Tire-Rama is the premier independent tire dealer in Montana, and marketing efforts also extend into all adjoining states and Canada thanks to a well-established, weekly distribution system. Along with a wide variety of tires, the Company's stores offer a complete menu of automotive accessories and services. With over 300 employees year-round and sales volume in excess of $45 million, Tire-Rama is proud to be 100% Montana owned and operated. The Company strives to position itself for future growth and takes great pride in the quality of its people.

Tire-Rama will continue as the industry leader by constantly focusing on its customers and on the goal of providing quality services and products at affordable prices. This business philosophy is best summed up by the Company's corporate motto: "Statewide Coverage, Hometown Service".