Bridgestone Firestone Off Road Tire Company Receives Supplier Quality Excellence Award
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (April 28, 2008) – Bridgestone Firestone Off Road Tire Company (BFOR), a division of Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT), has received a supplier quality excellence award from Caterpillar Inc. Caterpillar bestows this honor annually on those of its suppliers deemed to be meeting the highest standards of quality for Caterpillar components.
For its dedication to high standards, BFOR was awarded the 2007 “Supplier Quality Excellence” award. Shawn Rasey, Vice President, BFOR, and Greg Halford, BFOR’s Bloomington Plant Manager, accepted the award on behalf of BFOR during a recognition ceremony held Tuesday, April 15, in Bloomington, IL.
“To be singled out as one of Caterpillar’s top quality suppliers is truly an honor,” said Rasey. “Our team at BFOR takes a lot of pride in building world-class quality products and treating our customers like partners, so it’s very gratifying to receive this type of recognition from a key customer.”
“This award is a testament to the hard-working people who work at the Bridgestone Firestone Tire Plant here in Bloomington,” said Halford. “Our team strives to produce quality tires day in and day out. We are extremely proud to be recognized by the people with whom we do business on a daily basis.”
The Caterpillar ”Supplier Quality Excellence” award began in 2007 as recognition for its suppliers’ efforts to provide the highest quality to Caterpillar. Successful suppliers are selected by a global team made up of experts from purchasing, engineering, manufacturing and logistics who base their decisions on a supplier’s performance in key areas such as quality, service, delivery performance, and 6 Sigma Deployment.
“We’re proud to honor Bridgestone Firestone as the first North American tire company to receive the ‘Supplier Quality Excellence’ award from Caterpillar,” said Jack Koch, Strategic Sourcing Manager, Caterpillar Global Purchasing. “At Caterpillar, our quality standards are uncompromising, and we expect the same from our business partners.”
Based in Peoria, IL., Caterpillar is a leader in the production of construction and mining equipment worldwide. Every year, it evaluates suppliers based on the “Supplier Quality Excellence” standards incorporated into its recognition program.
About Bridgestone Firestone Off Road Tire:
Nashville-based Bridgestone Firestone Off Road Tire Company, a division of Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC, is solely dedicated to the marketing and sales of off road tires. As both an original equipment and replacement tire supplier, the company offers a comprehensive selection of radial and bias off road products, has sales and distribution outlets through more than 1,500 independent and company owned commercial outlets and is a pioneer of proprietary software, TreadStat Tire and Rim Management System.
About Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC:
Nashville-based Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC is a subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc., whose parent company, Bridgestone Corporation, is the world’s largest tire and rubber company. BFNT develops, manufactures and markets Bridgestone, Firestone, and associate brand tires. The company is focused on wholesale and original equipment markets, supplying passenger, light truck, commercial vehicle, off-road, motorcycle, agricultural and other tires to its customers in North America. In addition, through its Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions unit, retreading customers have access to industry-leading research and development, manufacturing, marketing and sales expertise, providing them with a total tire solution.