Bridgestone Announces Plant Leadership ChangesSeagraves to become plant manager at the Firestone Building Products Facility in Prescott, Ark.; Norrod to lead operations at the Consumer Tire Manufacturing Facility in Aiken County, S.C.
Nashville, Tenn. (May 21, 2015) – Bridgestone Americas today announced two appointments to plant leadership teams at its Prescott, Ark., and Aiken County, S.C., facilities.
Bridgestone appointed Tony Seagraves to serve as Plant Manager at the Firestone Building Products (FSBP) Company in Prescott, Ark., which produces EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) high-performance synthetic rubber roofing systems.
Seagraves hired into Aiken during the plant startup in 1998 and has progressed to increasing levels of responsibility, taking on the Operations Manager role in 2011. He graduated from Capital University in Dayton, Ohio, with a degree in operations management.
“Tony’s 17 years of manufacturing expertise and array of plant safety and operational leadership experience make him the perfect fit to lead our building products facility in Prescott,” said Tim Dunn, president of Firestone Building Products. “We are excited to have Tony lead the team in Prescott, managing this important product line for our company as well as advancing our drive to become a premier place to work.”
Bridgestone also announced that Vergil Norrod has accepted the position of Operations Manager at its passenger (PSR) and light truck (LTR) manufacturing facility in Aiken County. Norrod, previously Operations Manager at the company’s Warren County, Tenn., truck and bus tire manufacturing plant, succeeds Seagraves, who vacated the role upon his appointment as Plant Manager for the Prescott, Ark., location. Norrod’s successor at the Warren County facility has not been named yet.
Norrod hired into Warren as a tire builder and through exceptional work ethic and dedication, he obtained his degree while working full time at the plant. He moved into production supervision in 2001, progressing up the ranks to Operations Manager in 2012. Norrod has a bachelor’s degree in business management from Western Governors University.
“Vergil has done an excellent job managing our flagship TBR plant in Warren County and we look forward to his ongoing leadership taking Aiken County to its maximum capacity level,” said Barry Owens, Vice President, Manufacturing, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. “He will continue to produce great results as the new Operations Manager for the PSR Plant in Aiken, S.C., and his track record of success will only increase with time.”
For more information about Bridgestone or its operations in Prescott, Ark., and Aiken County, S.C., visit www.BridgestoneAmericas.com.
About Bridgestone Americas, Inc.:
Nashville, Tennessee-based Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSAM) is the U.S. subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, the world’s largest tire and rubber company. BSAM 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, and industrial fibers and textiles. The BSAM family of companies also operates the world’s largest chain of automotive tire and service centers. Guided by its One Team, One Planet message, the company is dedicated to achieving a positive environmental impact in all of the communities it calls home.