Our History

Don Foshay’s Discount Tire & Alignment has grown to be the largest Cooper Tire dealer in northern New England. This Maine family owned & operated business employs over 75 people and has earned numerous industry awards for business excellence. The roots of this company were not only in tires, but also in groceries!

Don Foshay Sr, a South Portland native, began his tire business career at 16 years old working for Yudy’s Tire while in high school. He worked there for 16 years before joining Noyes Tire as a territory rep. After a 10 year career with Noyes, he left the tire business to open two grocery stores in South Portland, in areas known as Redbank and Sunset Park. In addition to selling sandwiches and groceries, Don’s stores also sold tires-of course!

The stores prospered, but with relationships Don had built in the tire industry - and seeing more opportunity in treads than tomatoes - he opened Summit Tire of New England in 1982. The Summit warehouse, located in Biddeford, achieved 1st year sales of just under 1 million, and there was no looking back. A son, Don Jr, came into the tire field through the grocery business, working for Hannaford Supermarkets/Welby Drug division as a store manager. The growth of Summit soon called for his attention, and Don Jr. joined his father in June 1985. Two years later Summit entered into a strategic partnership with Cooper Tire, setting up the company’s 1st retail location on Rt. 1 in South Portland. The store was simply named, ‘Don Foshay’s Discount Tire & Battery’, specializing in the sale and installation of tires and batteries.

The company continued to grow, both in wholesale and retail sales. Another son, Mike, joined the business in 1990. A 2nd retail location opened in Biddeford in 1991. Successive store openings occurred in Brunswick in 1993 and Camden in 1999. These store openings also began the transition to providing extended mechanical services. The company was renamed Don Foshay’s Discount Tire & Alignment, providing alignments, state inspection, brake, shock & strut services. In 2001, the original South Portland location moved down the road to a busy area called ‘cash corner’, with additional bays allowing for even more vehicle repair services.

In order to provide the very best service, the company invested heavily into state of the art equipment and diagnostic technology. This included the Corghi Artiglio Master Tire Changer, Hunter GSP 9700 Vibration Analysis system, and nitrogen tire filling systems at all locations. In addition, Foshay placed higher standards on all of their tire installers, with all technicians being certified by the Tire Industry Association. The team is trained rigorously to ensure your safety. Don Foshay’s Discount Tire & Alignment now has 6 stores, opening Damariscotta in 2010 and Belfast in 2012. All stores have been awarded the ASE Blue Seal of Excellence, the highest award given by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. Every store has AAA approved auto care status, two locations having been awarded AAA shop of the year. 

Through their growth to the largest Cooper Tire dealer in New England they have maintained an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Plans for additional stores are on the horizon, thus making this a true success story for a dedicated Maine owned and operated family business.

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