Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations Facility Earns Wildlife Habitat Council Re-Certification
WILSON, N.C. (Nov. 19, 2009) — Maintaining its status as a facility focused on environmental conservation and education, the 300-acre Freedom Wildlife Habitat and Refuge at the Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) plant in Wilson, N.C., was recently re-certified under the Wildlife Habitat Council’s Corporate Lands for Learning and Wildlife at Work programs.
“We are very excited to attain Wildlife Habitat Council re-certification,” said Jim Pridgen, Wilson Plant Manager, BATO. “Our habitat gives us a great opportunity to reach out to the local community and young people with a hands-on environmental message, which is a key goal of the Bridgestone Group’s global ‘One Team, One Planet’ initiative.”
More than 1,000 students and visitors have attended a program or event at the habitat since its founding in 2005. In March 2009, the habitat hosted the Area IV Envirothon, where more than 500 middle school students from 11 counties in North Carolina competed on their knowledge of environmental issues and areas, such as aquatics, forestry and soils.
“We are very proud of the habitat’s success, and we aim to keep growing,” said Keith Griffith, who leads a group of teammates and volunteers as Habitat Coordinator at the facility. “Our work on the habitat is a reflection of our commitment to environmental conservation, stewardship and education.”
The habitat has provided programming opportunities with Barton College, Wilson Community College and Wilson Community Schools. In May 2007 and 2008, the facility hosted 250 local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts for Merit Badge University, a one-day event allowing Scout troops to earn merit badges or complete service projects at the habitat. In addition, Eagle Scouts have completed numerous projects at the facility, including a raised boardwalk in the habitat’s vernal wetlands, a pier for the habitat’s collection pond and bat boxes.
“We really enjoy hosting the Merit Badge University and Envirothon events,” said Griffith. “It is really worthwhile to get young people out to the habitat to learn about the environment and the things we can do to help preserve and protect it.”
The facility has also partnered with the Wilson Soil and Water Conservation District and the Tar River Chapter of the Wild Turkey Federation on projects at the habitat.
WHC’s Corporate Lands for Learning and Wildlife at Work certification programs recognize businesses that effectively use their property to engage the community with environmental preservation efforts and promote environmental causes. In the past two years, habitat initiatives have helped the Wilson facility earn the Wilson Soil and Water’s Conservation Award and the Honda Corporate Citizen Recognition Award.
The Wilson facility employs more than 1,800 teammates and produces passenger and light truck tires.
About Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations:
Nashville, Tenn.-based Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) is a business unit of Bridgestone Americas, Inc., whose parent company, Bridgestone Corporation, is the world’s largest tire and rubber company. Reporting into the BATO business unit are the company’s Latin American tire operations, the U.S. and Canadian consumer tire businesses and the U.S. and Canadian commercial tire businesses. BATO develops, manufactures and markets Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires. The business unit is focused on retail, wholesale and original equipment markets, supplying passenger, light truck, commercial vehicle, off road, motorcycle, agricultural and other tires to its customers in the Americas. 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.