Orange County Business

Big O Tires Inc.: Shareholders voted to hire an investment banker to explore the possibility of selling the company, officials said Thursday.

Big O’s second-largest shareholder, Kenneth W. Pavia Sr., general partner of Balboa Investment Group L.P. of Newport Beach, submitted the proposal for a vote at Wednesday night’s annual meeting.

Big O Tires, based in Englewood, Colo., is one of the largest independent retail tire and auto-service franchisers in the nation. The company has 370 stores in 18 states across the West and Midwest.