Celebrating ‘A Team For 20 Years’Event honors 20th anniversary of alliance of The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company with Bridgestone Corporation
AKRON, Ohio (July 29, 2008) – More than 1,600 teammates and family members are expected to join Bridgestone Americas Chairman and CEO Mark Emkes and state and local dignitaries in Akron today to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the alliance of The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company with Bridgestone Corporation, transforming Bridgestone into the world’s largest tire and rubber company.
“This celebration of ‘A Team For 20 Years’ is a chance to reflect on our accomplishments together and to set our sights on continuous improvement and growth for the future,” said Mark Emkes, Chairman and CEO of Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation. “We are one team with one goal: to continue to build on the success of the past 20 years through our two strong brands and our ongoing investment in technology that fosters a culture of innovation and quality. And we will continue the traditions established by our two founders — Shojiro Ishibashi and Harvey Firestone — to give back to the communities we call home. When it comes to the alliance of the Bridgestone and Firestone brands, the best is yet to come.”
Emkes will speak today in the shadow of the statue of Firestone founder Harvey Firestone on the lawn of the Bridgestone Americas Center for Research & Technology in Akron, Ohio, the birthplace of The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, Akron Mayor Donald L. Plusquellic and Summit County Executive Russ Pry are also expected to join other local leaders at the celebration. During the event, Emkes will highlight a series of “A Team for 20 Years” stories that will be featured in newspaper ads in several communities where Bridgestone Americas has offices and manufacturing facilities. The series will commemorate 20 years of proud accomplishments, including:
- return to dominance in American open-wheel racing;
- breakthroughs in tire technology, such as Blizzak winter tire technology;
- creating a culture of giving back to the communities it calls home, as evidenced by programs and
activities such as its donation of 10,000 acres of wilderness land to the state of Tennessee; and
industry leadership in driver safety education and environmental performance through innovative
initiatives such as Driver’s Edge and the creation of wildlife habitats at its plant sites.
Bridgestone Americas 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. 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 and allowing the makers of the iconic Bridgestone- and Firestone-brand tires to combine their best research and technology resources to become a global leader in quality, customer service and technical innovation. The operations in the Americas were later renamed Bridgestone Americas and became the largest subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation.
“The Bridgestone brand is a dynamic, sophisticated and innovative premium brand for drivers who want to get the most out of their cars,” Emkes said. “Firestone is a brand built on a century of proven quality and value with a tradition of innovation. We will continue to go to market with these two powerful brands and to build on the strength of each.”
“We wouldn’t be where we are if it weren’t for our teammates,” Emkes said. “They’re the life-blood of our company and the primary reason for our success. I want to thank each and every one of our teammates and their families for 20 extraordinary years of hard work and innovation.”
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, Tenn.-based Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. (BSAH) is the U.S. subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, the world’s largest tire and rubber company. BSAH and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone 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 are also engaged in retreading operations throughout the Western Hemisphere and produce air springs, roofing materials, synthetic rubber and industrial fibers and textiles. The BSAH family of companies also operates the world’s largest chain of automotive tire and service centers.