Wholesale Tire Distributors

Who owns Wholesale Tire Distributors?

WTD is owned by the Tchaghlassian family. Founder Ara Tchaghlassian and his son Vahe Tchaghlassian are co-owners, with Vahe serving as vice president of operations and marketing.

Is WTD a public company?

No. Wholesale Tire Distributors is privately held and does not trade on any stock exchange.

What brands does WTD own?

The company owns the Arroyo Tires, American Roadstar Tires, and American Hawk Tires brands, plus the Lock Offroad, Katana, and Dolce wheel lines. It also distributes third party brands including Atturo, Kumho, Pirelli, and Zestino.

Where is WTD headquartered?

The company is headquartered in Pomona, California, where it opened a 300,000 square foot distribution center in June 2023. It also operates warehouses in Calloway County, Kentucky, and Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

When was WTD founded?

Ara Tchaghlassian founded Wholesale Tire Distributors in 1996 in Los Angeles.

Where are WTD's own brand tires made?

Arroyo, American Roadstar, and American Hawk tires are produced by contract tire plants, primarily in Thailand and China, to WTD specifications.

Ara Tchaghlassian founded WTD in Los Angeles in 1996, building it as a regional tire wholesaler serving Southern California's dense market of independent dealers. The model from the start combined import logistics with private brand development rather than reselling national brands alone.

Proprietary brands became the growth driver. Arroyo emerged as the company's flagship, expanding year over year until WTD projected the line would cover more than 300 SKUs, spanning passenger, performance, SUV, light truck, and off-road fitments. American Roadstar covered additional value segments, and the company added wheel brands to sell bundled packages to dealers.

Physical expansion followed the brand growth. WTD consolidated three Southern California warehouses into a single 300,000 square foot distribution center in Pomona that opened in June 2023, while adding warehouses in Calloway County, Kentucky, and Latrobe, Pennsylvania, to reach eastern dealers. The company reported more than $15 million invested in its expansion programs.

Product development continued through 2024 with an Arroyo run-flat line and an Arroyo branded electric vehicle tire, plus larger rim diameter passenger sizes and an expanded truck and bus radial range. The American Hawk brand, planned as a full line covering TBR through passenger products, was scheduled to roll out in 2024.