Steve Shelton
Sr. Vice President, Technology, Manufacturing & Procurement
Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO)
Steve Shelton serves as Sr. Vice President, Technology, Manufacturing and Procurement for BATO. In this role Steve leads the teams responsible for the design, development, raw material procurement and manufacturing of tire products for Bridgestone’s Americas operation. Steve’s responsibilities also include oversight of the company’s fibers and textiles business, natural rubber farm in Liberia, West Africa, Bridgestone Americas Center for Research & Technology and the Guayule Rubber Projects which include the Bridgestone Biorubber Process Research Center and Bridgestone Agro Operations. Shelton serves as a member of the Board of Directors for BATO, is an officer for both Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSAM) and BATO, and is a member of the Executive Committee of BSAM.
Previous to his current position, Shelton served as Vice President, Product Development, BATO, where he was responsible for all BATO tire development groups, as well as the Advanced Technology Workshop – the division responsible for race tire manufacturing, and the Akron-based Product Development facilities. Prior to that, he served as Vice President, Logistics Supply Chain Management for Bridgestone Americas, Inc., and was responsible for strategic supply planning, global sourcing, operational procurement for both domestic and import finished goods, freight contracts, and logistics for finished goods.
In 1993, Shelton joined then-Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. as a Senior Project Engineer, Uniformity. Quickly taking on roles of increasing responsibility, Shelton served as Uniformity Manager; Technical Services Manager; Technical Services/Quality Assurance Manager; Division Manager Tire Room & Uniformity; Division Manager Curing & Uniformity; Manager, Process Engineering Development (PED); Director, PED Tire Development and Uniformity; and Director, Product/Process Strategic Marketing Consumer Tire Replacement. In 2008, Shelton was promoted to the position of Vice President, Supply Planning and Sourcing, and in May 2008, commercial truck tire Production Distribution Inventory Control (PDIC) was added to his existing assignment. Shelton was promoted to Vice President Logistics Supply Chain Management in 2009.
Shelton began his career in 1984 when he joined Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company as a Tire Engineer. He served in various capacities at Goodyear until joining Bridgestone Americas.
Shelton earned a bachelor’s degree in physics and mathematics from Lynchburg College, and an MBA from Duke University.