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Bridgestone Group Earns 12th Consecutive Supplier of the Year Award from General MotorsAward is for excellence in Bridgestone- and Firestone-brand tires and services delivered in 2006

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (April 4, 2007) –For the 12th consecutive year, Bridgestone Corporation and its global family of companies, including Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. (BSAH), have been named as the General Motors (GM) Supplier of the Year for overall business performance in providing GM with parts and services. The 15th annual award—themed the “Best of the Best”—was given during ceremonies Saturday, March 31, at the JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes in Orlando, Fla.

“We’re proud to honor the Bridgestone Group as one of the ‘Best of the Best’ GM suppliers in 2006,” said Bo Andersson, GM Group Vice President, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain. “The Bridgestone Group achieved the award based on outstanding performance in 2006. We appreciate their energy, hard work and dedication to the success of GM."

“We believe that having good people is how we make good products. Receiving this award for a dozen consecutive years is a testament to the dedication and commitment of our teammates around the world,” said Mark A. Emkes, Chairman and CEO, BSAH. “We count on our teammates to bring the best possible products to our customers, and we are determined to continue providing GM with high quality tires and service that they have come to expect from our company.”

The Bridgestone Group supplies Bridgestone- and Firestone-brand tires to GM plants worldwide. In North America, Bridgestone Americas supplies tires to GM and to GM’s joint ventures with Toyota (NUMMI) and Suzuki (CAMI). Bridgestone Europe supplies tires to GM’s European subsidiaries. And Bridgestone Group companies in Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, India, Thailand and South Africa are also GM suppliers.

In addition to the Bridgestone Group’s 12 consecutive global supplier awards, the Group’s Mexican subsidiary earned regional awards from GM for 1992 and 1993. Overall, the Bridgestone Group has earned prestigious recognition from the world’s largest automaker in 14 of the past 15 years.

The GM Supplier of the Year award began as a global program in 1992. Winners are selected by a global team of executives from purchasing, engineering, manufacturing and logistics who base their decisions on supplier performance in quality, service, technology and price. This year, General Motors honored 89 suppliers for their outstanding performance throughout 2006.

About Bridgestone Corporation:
Bridgestone Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, is the world’s largest tire and rubber company. In addition to tires for use in a wide variety of applications, it also manufactures a broad range of diversified products, which include industrial rubber and chemical products and sporting goods. Its products are sold in over 150 nations and territories around the world.

About Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc.:
Nashville-based Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. (BSAH) is the U.S. subsidiary of the Bridgestone Corporation, the world’s largest tire and rubber company. BSAH and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone, Dayton and associate brand tires to address the needs of a broad range of customers, including consumers, automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturers, and those in the agricultural, forestry and mining industries. The companies also produce air springs, roofing materials, synthetic rubber and industrial fibers and textiles and operate the world’s largest chain of automotive tire and service centers.