Unimax is deploying a growth strategy in Ontario, leveraging expertise and product availability to strengthen its presence.

For the national player, the Ontario market represents strong growth potential, with its operations solidly established in Quebec. Unimax is now focusing its efforts on developing the Ontario territory, increasing its footprint via its Distribution Stox division, where the company already has deep roots.

Unimax is an integrated group that combines distribution (Distribution Stox in eastern Canada, and North Country Tires in western Canada), retail banners (Point S, V1, Otobox, Local Tire), and wheel expertise (RSSW) to optimize operations and support the growth of businesses across the automotive market nationwide.

To discuss the deployment of this strategy in detail, we met with Mark Pereira, Vice President, Ontario Sales and National Major Accounts, who is on the front lines of these commercial efforts.

Readily available products

“Unimax is very well positioned in Ontario,” Pereira explains. “We have five distribution centres to keep up with demand by offering a wide variety of quickly accessible products. Having the right inventory in the right place and delivering it to the customer at the right time are the pillars of success for a tire distributor. For me, success lies in understanding the market and being able to adapt to its needs.”

Ensuring a strong presence is essential, and Unimax achieves this through its five Distribution Stox centres. The new Ottawa and Vaughan facilities are already operational, while the newly upgraded Sudbury location will soon see its warehousing capacity expand from 7,000 to 35,000 square feet.

Today, retailers keep very little inventory on hand, relying instead on a strong distributor to deliver products on demand. Unimax delivers on this exact promise by investing continuously in its warehousing and delivery capabilities, ensuring the supply of both tires and wheels, with RSSW — acquired in 2025 by Unimax — Combined with the dedicated Ontario team led by Pereira, this infrastructure, strategically located along major traffic corridors, promotes close collaboration and more agile decision-making, which is essential for keeping pace with the constant changes in this highly dynamic market.

The Vaughan distribution centre, which had just opened when we spoke with the Unimax Vice President, houses a vast selection of 160,000 tires and 175,000 wheels. “We can offer RSSW wheels to complement the tires,” Pereira explains. “This is a quality product for our customers that is available at a lower price than an OEM wheel, making it the perfect addition to a new set of tires.

A diverse customer base

Pereira knows his market well. Ontario is much more than just Toronto, and this vast province is not a monolithic block of consumers. In addition to the concentration in the Greater Toronto Area, demand is fragmented into a multitude of secondary markets.

“You find all-season tire enthusiasts in the city, as well as a significant number of electric vehicles with specific needs. As you move away from urban centres, you encounter a larger number of pickup trucks and people looking for true winter tires. But you can’t reduce demand to such a simplistic approach. I’m thinking of owners of large premium SUVs who will demand good winter tires as soon as the first snow falls, driving behemoths that come factory-equipped with ultra-high-performance tires that offer anemic traction.”

Pereira also understands that demand varies based on economic factors. “We offer about thirty brands to drivers through our network,” he notes. “Our philosophy has always been to provide quality products. When service advisors take the time to truly understand their customers’ needs and explain the best solutions, price usually becomes a secondary concern.” In fact, Unimax believes counter advisors should only recommend tires they wouldn’t hesitate to install on their own mother’s car.

From urban areas to rural regions, Unimax supports the full spectrum of the automotive aftermarket, from aftermarket shops to tire retailers and dealerships. The Ontario team invests significant effort into building relationships based on expertise and trust. Through Unimax’s five strategic distribution centres, these clients now have access to a brand-new product catalogue.

The Ontario team includes 15 representatives on the road. Their mission is to raise awareness of this inventory, explain the specific features for each application, and share emerging market trends with shop managers.

“We aren’t newcomers to the tire industry,” Pereira says with a wide smile, “and we can support our customers in optimizing their operations thanks to our market knowledge and business best practices. Often, their specialty is focused more on automotive mechanics, so when it comes to tires, we have a lot to share with them. It’s up to these entrepreneurs to take advantage of this expertise.”

The team will also benefit from the brand-new training centre in the Distribution Stox Vaughan location to update their product knowledge directly with tire manufacturers.

“Between our strategic regional distribution hubs, an inventory designed to support dealers who no longer maintain stock on site, and our specialized product and market expertise, I am confident we have everything we need to reach our growth goals in Ontario,” Pereira concludes.