Bridgestone Announces New Leadership at Aiken County SC Manufacturing Facilities Brooks to lead new off-road radial tire plant slated to open fall 2014; Jones to lead passenger and light truck tire plant
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 29, 2014) – Bridgestone Americas today announced two appointments to the plant leadership team at the company’s manufacturing operations in Aiken County, S.C.
Bridgestone appointed Ron Brooks to serve as Plant Manager at the company’s new off-road radial (ORR) tire plant, which is scheduled to begin production later this year. Brooks spent much of his distinguished career working for Bridgestone, and brings experience managing several manufacturing facilities, including the company’s tire operations in Warren County, Tenn.; LaVergne, Tenn., and Bloomington, Ill.
“Ron possesses three decades of manufacturing expertise and has a wealth of plant leadership experience making him the perfect fit to lead our new ORR operations in Aiken County,” said Barry Owens, Vice President, Manufacturing, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. “We are excited to have Brooks head up the ORR team in Aiken – managing this important capital investment for our company, as well as leading our drive to become a premier place to work.”
Bridgestone also announced that Fran Jones accepted the position of Plant Manager at its passenger (PSR) and light truck (LTR) manufacturing facility in Aiken County. Jones, previously Vice President, Administrative Services, at the Aiken ORR plant, succeeds John Stewart, who was recently appointed Plant Manager for the company’s operations in Warren County, Tenn.
“Fran has made a huge impact for Bridgestone as a leader in human resources,” said Owens. “She will continue to produce great results as the new PSR Plant Manager for Aiken, and her track record of success will only increase with time.”
In April 2013, Bridgestone announced the completion of a two-phase expansion at its PSR/LTR operations in Aiken County, S.C., increasing the plant’s footprint to 2.42 million square feet and resulting in a rated production capacity of 37,350 tires per day, or 13.4 million tires annually.
For more information about Bridgestone or its operations in Aiken County, S.C., visit www.BridgestoneAmericas.com.
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; the U.S. and Canadian commercial tire businesses; and the Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC, which operates the largest network of company-owned automotive service providers in the world. BATOP develops, manufactures and markets Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires. The business unit is focused on retails, wholesale and original equipment markets, supplying passenger, light truck, commercial vehicle, off road, motorcycle, agricultural and other tires, as well as retreads, to its customers in the Americas.