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Bridgestone Sponsors EyesOn Design Automotive Design Exhibition and Awards CeremonySponsorship benefits Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 19, 2015) – Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) today announced its sponsorship of the 2015 EyesOn Design Automotive Design Exhibition and Awards Ceremony. The event takes place Sunday, June 21 in Grosse Pointe Shores, Mich., and marks the 15th consecutive year of sponsorship by Bridgestone.

EyesOn Design is a fundraiser for the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology’s (DIO) work with the visually impaired and blind. The DIO is the research education arm of the Henry Ford Health System Department of Ophthalmology. Mike Martini, President, OE Division, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, will present five distinguished Crystal Awards at this weekend’s EyesOn Design Automotive Design Exhibition Awards Ceremony, celebrating automakers’ unique styles and the staff who create them.

“Bridgestone is a proud member of the Detroit community, and we are committed to initiatives like EyesOn Design that are making a positive impact on this city and globally. Initiatives like the DIO’s ‘The Eye and the Chip’, which works to make artificial vision a reality, couldn’t exist without this organization,” said Martini. “As a company dedicated to performance and innovation, we are excited to join our industry partners and celebrate the very best in automotive design, which we all know is the root of the emotional connection consumers have with their vehicles.”

In addition to the awards ceremony, the full exhibition schedule is as follows:

  • June 19, 6:30 p.m.-11 p.m.: Vision Honored ceremony to celebrate the career of retired Renault design head Patrick le Quement in the company of auto industry insiders, designers and enthusiasts
  • June 21, 10 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.: EyesOn Design Automotive Design Exhibition at the famed Edsel & Eleanor Ford House, showcasing nearly 300 vehicles that embody this year’s design theme of “House Style”
  • June 21, 11 a.m.- 1 p.m.: Private Eyes Brunch: Elegant champagne brunch on the shores of Lake St. Clair
  • June 21, 1:30 p.m.: EyesOn Design Automotive Design Exhibition Awards Ceremony
  • June 21, 3:30 p.m.: Twenty-Fifth Annual Friends of Vision Raffle

EyesOn Design was founded in 1987 with the support of design leaders from GM, Ford and Chrysler as an automotive exhibition judged exclusively by automotive designers. Today, the organization continues to celebrate design innovation with an ever-increasing group of designers, collectors, manufacturers, suppliers and the general public.

  • In addition to the summer show, EyesOn Design Awards also are given in January at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), where the best production and concept vehicles that have made their North American or worldwide debut in Detroit are honored.

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.