Houlihan Lokey Advises Bridgestone Americas

Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce that Speedco, Inc. (Speedco), a subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSAM), has been acquired by Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores, Inc. (Love's). The transaction closed on November 1, 2017.

Speedco is a leading truck maintenance and service company founded in 1991 and based in Nashville, Tennessee. The company engages in preventative maintenance and tire replacement for commercial trucks, providing lube services, tire services, light mechanical repair, and federal inspections at major highway stopping points as well as off-highway metro locations. Speedco currently operates 52 locations across 26 states in the U.S.

BSAM is the U.S. subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation (TSE:5108), the world's largest tire and rubber company. BSAM and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture, and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone, and associate brand tires to address the needs of a broad range of customers, including consumers, automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturers, and those in the agricultural, forestry, and mining industries. The BSAM family of companies also operates the world's largest chain of automotive tire and service centers.

Founded in 1964, Love's has more than 430 locations in 41 states. Love's provides professional truck drivers and motorists with 24-hour access to clean and safe places to purchase gasoline, diesel fuel, travel items, electronics, and more, while also providing a selection of restaurant offerings. On-site Love's Truck Tire Care centers offer roadside assistance, tire care, and light mechanical services for professional truck drivers.

Houlihan Lokey served as the exclusive financial advisor to BSAM and assisted in structuring and negotiating the transaction for Speedco on its behalf. This transaction highlights Houlihan Lokey's broad experience in the automotive service sector and its position as a premier advisor on corporate divestitures.