AKRON, Ohio (April 25, 2005) – The Bridgestone Americas Center for Research and Technology (BACRT), the research arm of Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. (BSAH), today announced that Dr. Georg G. Böhm, Vice President, Research, has elected to retire effective May 1, 2005. Dr. Hiroshi Mouri, BACRT President, will assume Böhm’s responsibilities at BACRT.

Commenting on Böhm, Mouri said, “Throughout his career, Dr. Böhm has demonstrated the highest loyalty to our company and a clear focus on the fact that our business will thrive so long as our research group can provide our customers with the highest level of process, manufacturing and product technology. He has devoted himself to the pursuit of ‘the best’... whether it is in the context of finding the best people to join the BACRT team or identifying the best polymers to address a tire need. He is an excellent scientist, as well an excellent businessman.” Mouri continued, “While I personally will miss our day-to-day interactions, we are all extremely pleased that Georg has agreed to serve BACRT on a consulting basis, giving us the benefit of his leadership and insight for the next two years.”

Böhm joined Radiation Processing, Inc., a subsidiary of the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company located in Long Island, New York, in 1967 as a group leader after earning a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Vienna. He relocated to Akron, Ohio in 1972 as an assistant director in Firestone’s research center. During his almost 38 year tenure with Firestone, later Bridgestone Firestone, now the Bridgestone Americas Center for Research and Technology, Böhm has held positions of increasing responsibility, including division manager, radiation; assistant director, material science; manager, material science and process; manager, central research; and director of research. He was promoted to his current position, vice president, research, in August 2001.