ABOUT US

AC Tire Inc has been providing quality car care in Ashland, VA, since 1994. We are a family-owned business delivering honest and professional automotive repair and auto maintenance services to the people of Ashland and surrounding areas. The quality ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certified technicians at AC Tire Inc employ today’s latest automotive technology and are equipped to handle all major and minor repairs on foreign and domestic vehicles.

AC Tire Inc is a certified NAPA AutoCare Center; we are able to provide the benefits of an established national entity while maintaining the personal touch of a family-owned business. We understand that your vehicle is a major investment, and that is why we care for each customer’s vehicle as if it were our own.

Please be sure to go to our Shop Specials section for our current promotions and specials.

Come by and visit our clean and professional shop in Ashland, VA.

About NAPA AutoCare

As a NAPA AutoCare Center, we follow a strict code of ethics so customers will know up-front what to expect. As part of this code, we pledge:

• To perform high-quality diagnostic and repair service at a fair price using quality NAPA parts.
• To employ ASE-certified technicians.
• To be dedicated to customer satisfaction.
• To exercise reasonable care for the customer’s property while it is in our possession.
• To obtain prior authorization and provide a price estimate for work performed.
• To provide a system for fair settlement of customer complaints should they occur.
• To maintain the highest standards of our profession.
• To uphold the integrity of all members of the NAPA AutoCare Program.

Our National NAPA AutoCare Warranty
We currently offer the NAPA AutoCare Peace of Mind Warranty, which provides our customers with 24 months/24,000 miles of worry-free protection on qualifying parts and labor. Wherever you may travel, our warranty is honored at more than 14,000 NAPA AutoCare locations across the country.

As a NAPA AutoCare Center, our parts and services are backed by the NAPA Nationwide Warranty. Our proximity to the NAPA store in Ashland provides us prompt access to parts so that we can get you back on the road quickly. We use top quality Pennzoil oil products in our service bays.
We are a member of the Goodyear Tire Family, offering some of the lowest prices on tires in the Richmond, VA area. Our twice daily deliveries allows us to quickly get tires in a range of sizes (including trailer tires) and brands, like Michelin, Hankook, Uniroyal, Kelly, Dunlop, and Cooper. Our used tire inventory changes daily. If your tire has a slow leak or you have a flat tire, we are often able to repair the tire and save the cost of a replacement tire. We patch tires from the inside as a proper and permanent repair that does not void the manufacture’s warranty on your tire.

A Long Tradition of Auto Excellence

A.C. Tire is owned and run by the father/son team of John and Johnny Cassett. It opened for business in December, 1994, offering full service car washes and minimal auto repair. It has evolved from that into an extensive auto repair facility and tire retail. But its heritage includes several businesses, a variety of automotive skills, and more than 30 years of experience.

John (known as “Pops” by the employees) opened his first auto/ tire shop in 1977 in the Lakeside area of Richmond. It had 16 gas pumps, 4 service bays and was “full service”- yes, they checked your oil and washed your windshield! In 1981, he became the manager of a national brand tire/ service center, one of the larger ones in the Midlothian area. In 1987, he became the manager of a Goodyear store on the north side of the James River, where he stayed until he “retired” in 1993 to lay the groundwork for opening A.C. Tire.

Johnny grew up working on cars. Before the term “upgrade” was commonplace, he was taking apart cars, improving their performance and putting them back together.While his friends watched TV on the weekends in high school, Johnny worked as a mechanic at a Richmond Goodyear Tire Service Center. Johnny did not limit his automotive expertise to under the hood; he became skilled in automotive body work as well. In 1989, he switched gears and became an auto body technician at a Richmond car dealership. In 1991, Johnny focused his skills on alignments, becoming known throughout Southside Richmond as one of the best alignment specialists around. He brought all of these skills (and a following of clients from throughout Richmond) to his own business at A.C. Tire.

But it goes back further….

The roots of A.C. Tire travel back over 60 years and across the state line into West Virginia. It goes over War Mountain into McDowell County and a small town named War, known as “the southern most town in WV” and a gas station owned by Owen Farmer. Before the age of Quick Lubes and Extended Hours, Farmer’s service station was open from 8 am to 8 pm, 7 days a week. The employees worked 6 days a week- 3 days from 8-5 and 3 days from 8-8. On those days that called for the extra three hours, they were rewarded with a free burger, fries, and milkshake from the local burger joint. The salary? Paid once a month, the employees earned $120.

This gas station played an essential role in the birth of A.C. Tire. John worked for Farmer on weekends in 1965, doing a variety of mechanic work. Admittedly, he did this partly to be around his future wife, Farmer’s daughter. Twenty years later, Johnny spent the summer with his grandparents, working for Granddad Farmer at his service station. There, Johnny learned many of the “tricks of the trade,” including the ability to eat a sandwich in less than four bites so he can get back to working on cars (which he still does).

What does A.C. Tire Mean?

From the time that A.C. Tire opened (almost 20 years ago), the question has been asked: Where did you get the name A.C. Tire?
Guesses have included:
Abby & Chancey Tire (the two family dogs at the time the business opened) Anne Cassett Tire (Johnny’s daughter’s name) “Somebody” Cassett Tire (did John or Johnny have a name that started with an “A”?) “it was already named that”

Here’s the real story: When John and Johnny opened the business in 1994, it was a full service car wash, complete with vacuuming, waxing, and window cleaning. The business was named “Ashland Carwash.” When John and Johnny first took ownership, they continued those services while they built their auto service and tire sales business. So the name of the business transitioned from Ashland Carwash to Ashland Carwash & Tire to A.C. Tire.
Not nearly as exciting as being named after some secret relative, but makes a lot more sense.