Straightaway Grows EAS Tire & Auto to 26 Shops

EAS Tire & Auto, the Colorado automotive repair brand owned by multi-brand consolidator Straightaway, has acquired Elite Auto Service in Colorado Springs, growing its footprint to 26 locations statewide. Elite Auto Service had operated independently for years under owner Brian Ferriter, building a reputation serving the Fort Carson and Peterson Air Force Base communities before selling to EAS.

Buying Trust Instead of Building It

Straightaway's model depends on acquiring shops that already have a loyal local customer base rather than opening greenfield locations and building that trust from zero. Ferriter's decision to sell specifically to a buyer who would keep his team and local identity intact reflects the pitch Straightaway makes to every seller: continuity for customers and staff in exchange for the resources of a larger platform.

Why Roll-Ups Compete With Franchising for the Same Owners

Independent shop owners weighing an exit increasingly choose between selling to a consolidator like Straightaway or converting into a franchise system, and the acquisition route wins more of that decision when owners want a clean exit rather than a new operating structure to learn. Straightaway now runs more than 95 locations across nine states, scale it built almost entirely by buying established shops like Elite Auto rather than franchising its own brand outward.

What It Signals for Colorado's Auto Repair Market

Consolidation in automotive aftermarket service has accelerated through 2026, and EAS's steady, one-shop-at-a-time growth in its home state shows a strategy built on density rather than a land grab across new geographies. For competing repair shops in Colorado Springs, the message is that well-run independents are increasingly acquisition targets rather than long-term rivals.