Bottom line: A few powerful companies, driven by private equity, quietly control most auto service chains, impacting consumer choice and market dynamics. But it made me wonder—regardless of how many auto service chains we have in America, how many holding companies are actually in control of them? And I bet you can guess where the real power behind those parent companies comes from: yep, private equity. But when it comes to the local brand-name type enterprises, here’s how the six empires of auto service shake out. You’ve got Monro Auto Service, Mr. Tire, Tire Choice, and a long tail of local names like Free Service Tire and McGee.