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News

Bridgestone Firestone Off Road Tire Company Adds Two As Service Offering Expands

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Sept. 23, 2008) – Bridgestone Firestone Off Road Tire Company (BFOR), a division of Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT), announces two key personnel appointments. Mike Poirer and Wilhelm Brau join BFOR to support marketing, sales and distribution responsibilities for Continuum brand retread materials.

Mike Poirier joins BFOR as General Manager Corporate Accounts and Original Equipment. Poirier served most recently as North American OTR Sales Manager, Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions in Muscatine, Iowa.

Wilhelm Brau joins BFOR as General Manager Continuum Retread and Recycle Solutions. Brau served most recently as Vice President of Sales and Operations for RDH Tire & Retread Company in Cleveland, N.C.

“The addition of Mike and Willie to the BFOR team is an important step in our ability to deliver a one-stop, integrated new and retread tire service solution to fleets,” said Shawn Rasey, Vice President, BFOR.

Poirier is responsible for managing the BFOR strategic account sales group. He will replace Russ King, a 21-year veteran of BFOR, who will retire later this year. In this new role, Poirier will work to expand the BFOR offering to corporate accounts. No stranger to the Bridgestone Firestone sales organization, he worked from 1990 to 1995 as a Commercial Territory Manager and a Region Account Executive. He spent the last 13 years with Bandag, Incorporated, now part of the Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions organization in various sales and marketing positions. He began his career with Treadco, Inc. as a Location Manager.

Brau is responsible for sales and distribution management, working with OTR retreaders and BFOR servicing dealers. He will also support retread marketing efforts. Brau began his career with General Tire of Charleston, S.C. as a retread plant manager, and has held various sales roles with Jim Martin Tire Company and Boulevard Tire. He joined RDH Tire & Retread Company in 2004 and worked extensively with customers and products in Canada, United States, Mexico, Peru, Italy, Germany and Russia.

Continuum brand retread materials sales, marketing and distribution were previously the responsibility of Bridgestone Bandag Tires Solutions (BBTS), a division of Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT). Continuum retread materials will continue to be designed and manufactured by BBTS.

About Bridgestone Firestone Off Road Tire Company:
Bridgestone Firestone Off Road Tire Company (BFOR), a division of Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC, manufactures, markets and sells off the road (OTR) tires used in heavy duty applications for construction, mining, aggregates and industrial operations. Today, BFOR is a significant supplier to most original equipment manufacturers as well as most major global mining and construction companies, supplying nearly 40 percent of the domestic replacement and original equipment markets. BFOR offers the industry’s most comprehensive selection of radial and bias OTR products; a dedicated sales and engineering staff; sales and distribution through 1,000 dealers as well as the company’s commercial outlets; and the proprietary software, TreadStat Tire and Rim Management System.