A new tyre dealership and repair service business has opened in Southside.

Quality Tires and Services is operated by Andrew Roberts, who has extensive experience in the industry.

The business is based in a retail unit at Southside, and has a well-stocked storage area featuring tyres that can be fitted to almost any type of vehicle, from trucks, passenger vehicles and cars, to motorbikes and even lawn equipment and wheelbarrows.

It took months to modify the premises to suit the business, including installing purpose-built storage racks to hold hundreds of tyres.

And there is rear yard where vehicles can be parked as they await new tyres being fitted.

The business is a two-man operation. Mr Roberts is assisted by Paul McKenna. The two have known one another since their childhood days and each brings specific skills and insights to the business that complement the other.

Mr Roberts is happy with the location. He said East End business is picking up, and customers are coming from further afield. He also distributes the tyres across the island to garages.

Explaining how the business got started, he said: “I’ve been involved in batteries and tyres since I was a teenager, and I got to know key players from government to local garages and fleet owners.”

He decided to branch out and set up his own business and was approached by Falken Tire, which manufactures high performance tyres for cars, trucks and other vehicles.

“Falken wanted to do business in Bermuda. They flew me to Arizona to test their tyres in conditions that we have to deal with here, because we can have all the seasons in one day,” said Mr Roberts.

He was impressed, and he compares the Falken tyres to the quality of the Kumho brand, but said they are less expensive.

QTS Bermuda stocks some Kumho tyres in the sizes that are not available in the Falken range. And it has Sobek-brand tyres for motorbikes, lawn equipment and wheelbarrows.

The business is also bringing Interstate Batteries’ products to the island.

“It is a good, quality brand, and we will have them soon.”

QTS can fit tyres to vehicles or deliver them across the island to customers.

As word about the business has spread the number of customers has increased.

Mr Roberts said: “We have people coming from as far away as Paget because they say our tyres beat the competition.

“We have the [Southside]TCD station across the road from us, and sometimes we get people come out of there to get new tyres.”

QTS is open from 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, and till 2pm on Saturdays. It is located on Waller’s Point Road, which is home to a number of business es and retailers, including the Big Savings Zone furniture store.

QTS Bermuda has a Facebook page. The business can be contacted on 297-4787, or by e-mail at qtsbermudaltd@hotmail.com