About Bridgestone Americas
Bridgestone Americas’ corporate family (BSA) traces its roots to the establishment of The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company in August 1900. It was then that 31-year-old Harvey S. Firestone (1868-1938) started tire production with 12 employees in Akron, Ohio.
On the other side of the globe in 1931, Shojiro Ishibashi (1885-1976) created Bridgestone Tire Company Ltd. (later renamed Bridgestone Corporation). He fashioned the company name by reversing the English translation of his own: “Ishibashi,” which literally means “stone bridge” in Japanese.
Bridgestone Corporation purchased Firestone in 1988 for $2.6 billion, transforming the companies’ combined operations into the world’s largest tire and rubber company. The operations in the Americas were renamed Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. (BFS) and became the largest subsidiary of Bridgestone. As part of its integration with Bridgestone’s existing U.S. operations, Bridgestone Firestone moved its headquarters from Akron to Nashville in 1992.
In December 2001, Bridgestone’s Americas operations were reorganized in an effort to focus more effectively on its core business units. The reorganized companies do business in the Americas under a holding company structure in which Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. (BSAH) owns several operating subsidiaries.
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Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT), the successor to BFS, includes North American tire manufacturing and wholesale and original equipment sales operations across a broad line of products, including consumer, commercial truck and bus, agricultural, and off the road tires. Product development and research related to these businesses are also conducted by BFNT. BFNT sells tires for passenger, light truck, truck, bus, off-the-road, motorcycle, agricultural and kart applications through a variety of different outlets, including independent dealers, discount retailers, warehouse clubs and stores owned by its sister company, BFS Retail & Commercial Operations, LLC.
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BFS Retail & Commercial Operations, LLC (BFRC), consists of a family of more than 2,200 company-owned consumer and commercial vehicle service and tire locations in the United States and Canada, including Firestone Complete Auto Care™, Tires Plus™, ExpertTire™, Wheel Works™ and GCR Tire Centers as well as Firestone Complete Fleet Care™. The company’s credit card operations, through Credit First National Association (CFNA™), are also part of BFRC.
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Bridgestone Firestone Diversified Products (BFDP) is the operating name of BFS Diversified Products, LLC and consists of BSA’s non-tire businesses, including building and industrial products, synthetic polymers, natural and synthetic rubber, and industrial fibers and textiles.
Bridgestone Bandag, LLC (Bandag) manufactures retreading materials and equipment for its worldwide network of more than 800 franchised dealers that produce and market retread tires and provide tire management services. Tire Distribution Systems, Inc. (TDS), a wholly owned subsidiary, sells and services new and retread tires. In addition, Bandag has an 87.5 percent interest in Speedco, Inc., a provider of on-highway truck lubrication and routine tire services to commercial truck owner-operators and fleets.
BSAH has international manufacturing and sales subsidiaries located in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela, with additional sales representation throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. This business unit is collectively referred to as Bridgestone Firestone Latin American Tire Operations. BSAH also has a manufacturing facility and sales offices in Canada.
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Bridgestone Metalpha U.S.A., Inc. (BMU) is the company’s steel cord manufacturing facility.
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Today, Bridgestone Americas consists of an international family of enterprises with 55 production facilities and more than 53,000 teammates throughout the Americas.
A Technological Leader
The Bridgestone family of companies, which include Bridgestone Americas, is a world leader in tire and related technologies. The collective entities utilize the tri-polar research and development centers in Tokyo, Akron and Rome to produce advanced tire technologies for products that meet consumers’ needs. Bridgestone Americas operates world-class proving grounds in Ft. Stockton, Texas; São Pedro, Brazil; and Acuña, Mexico.
In many cases, the race track is the company’s test center. Bridgestone companies’ participation in IndyCar Series and Formula One racing benefits their technology as well. From the race track, to the interstate, to the street where people live, the knowledge gained in developing their race tires makes everyone a winner.
Quality Products
Tires are the largest part of Bridgestone Americas’ business, accounting for approximately 70 percent of annual revenues. BFNT develops, manufactures and markets tires for almost every kind of vehicle. In fact, the company sells more than 8,000 different types and sizes of tires – from a 13-foot-tall giant radial for earthmoving equipment to a kart tire that stands only 10 inches high.
In addition to tires, BSA is also engaged in retreading operations throughout the world, and is recognized internationally for producing a variety of quality products, including building and industrial materials, synthetic polymers, natural and synthetic rubber, and industrial fibers and textiles.
All manufacturing facilities are certified to internationally recognized quality and environmental system requirements, and work every day to continuously enhance their operations, resulting in continuous enhancements to the products they manufacture.
Community Involvement
Bridgestone Americas is committed to being a good corporate citizen nationally, regionally and especially in the communities where BSA has manufacturing plants, sales facilities or offices.
Since 1952, the Bridgestone Firestone Trust Fund has supported charitable and philanthropic endeavors in three major categories: education, the welfare of children, and environment and conservation. This annual, multi-million dollar effort has provided innumerable benefits. Bridgestone Americas adheres to the Bridgestone Way, the global Bridgestone group’s corporate philosophy to build not just better products, but better communities. |
