Firestone Farm Tires Receives 2013 Iowa Recognition For Performance Excellence AwardFirst tire manufacturer to receive honor
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Jan. 21, 2014) – Firestone Farm Tires has received a 2013 Iowa Recognition for Performance Excellence (IRPE) Award. The IRPE is a National Baldrige based process that recognizes role model organizations for sustainability and maintaining a future focus on performance excellence. The Des Moines, Iowa plant is recognized as an example in manufacturing business and is the first tire plant to receive this recognition. The Firestone Farm Tires Des Moines Division captured Silver Level recognition and will receive the award in April 2014.
“Receiving Bronze Level recognition in 2012 in our first submission was a tremendous honor,” said Ken Allen, President, Firestone Farm Tires. “To again receive IRPE recognition and at an even higher level – Silver – is absolutely remarkable. 2013 was another tremendous year for us. Our teammates continue to be committed to future sustainability and performance excellence at every level of our business and manufacturing processes. Earning this award assures us that we are on the right pathway, doing what’s right and best for our customers, our community and the industry.”
The Firestone Farm Tires Des Moines plant manufactures bias and radial farm tires for North America and beyond. The facility employs more than 1600 teammates and is an integral part of the Des Moines community and Central Iowa region since the mid-1940s. In addition to manufacturing Firestone-brand agricultural tires, the plant also produces tires for the forestry and construction equipment markets. A key requirement of the application pertains to employee engagement, continuous improvement and commitment to the Iowa community beyond the workplace. Teammates supported organizations in the State through:
- Hosting Baldrige benchmarking trip with GMT Corporation
- Presenting a break-out session on Metrics at the 2013 IRPE ceremony
- Presenting to the Urbandale Community School District School Board to prepare them for their first application
- Volunteering as Baldrige examiners and providing feedback to other Iowa organizations
- Attending site visits, assembling data packets for examiner review and conducting interviews, follow-up and feedback
The IRPE is one of 39 state award programs aligned with the National Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. To date, more than 90 applications have been submitted. Applicants are scored based on the application and an independent examiner team site visit. Examiners look for systemic processes and results in the areas of leadership, strategic planning, customer focus, workforce focus, operations focus, measurement analysis and knowledge management, financial and market.
To learn more about Firestone Farm Tires and the Des Moines, Iowa plant, visit www.firestoneag.com.
About Firestone Farm Tires:
Firestone Farm Tires (FSAG), a division of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, is the industry leader in the manufacturing, marketing, and sales of market-leading Firestone agricultural tires. FSAG’s Des Moines, Iowa, facility is located in the heart of America’s farm belt and supplies approximately half of the agricultural tires consumed by North American original equipment manufactures as well as being the leading agricultural tire supplier in the North American replacement market. Firestone agricultural tires can be found on farm tractors, planting and harvesting equipment and other farm implements in North America and around the world. In addition, FSAG markets and sells forestry and construction tires. FSAG also operates a testing facility, located in Columbiana, Ohio, which is the only facility in the world solely dedicated to the development and testing of agricultural tires.