New Managing Director For Bridgestone In Brazil
Bridgestone/Firestone Brazil’s former vice president of legal and government affairs has been promoted to the managing directors’ post upon the retiral of Vito De Florio on 1st October.
Based in Japan, Bridgestone Corporation is the world’s largest tyre and rubber company.
Tag Archive for: Bridgestone
Massive Drop In Profit Announced By Bridgestone
Product NewsAs widely expected, the Bridgestone Corporation has reported a massive fall in net profits of 80 per cent for the year 2000. Net profit was 17.7 billion Yen (US$ 155 million), which was better than the company’s prediction late last year of 13 Billion Yen. Turnover was down too, by 3.8 per cent to 2,006.9 billion Yen, and pre tax profits were down nearly 38 per cent, from 200.8 billion Yen last year to 124.8 billion Yen. This is largely attributable to the effects of the Firestone recall. This is the company’s worst result in ten years. Since the announcement of the tyre recall, Bridgestone shares have fallen in value by 50%.
Congress Appearance For Ford And Firestone
Product NewsFord’s Jacques Nasser and BF Inc’s CEO John Lampe are due to face questions from a Congressional committee regarding the spate of rollover accidents involving Ford Explorers fitted with Firestone tyres. This comes as the death toll in such accidents rises to 203 and lawyers in Florida, representing a family who had two members killed and three others injured in an accident, are seeking $1 billion damages from Bridgestone/Firestone Inc.
Williams-BMW Successful Because Of Michelin Tyres
Product NewsFormula 1 Champion Michael Schumacher believes that the secret of the Williams-BMW team lies in the Michelin tyres. Michelin seems to have done a good job so that Williams-BMW has become competitive, the Ferrari driver told La Gazzetta dello Sport, during team testing in Mugello. “I would have thought that Bridgestone’s advantage would have lasted longer”, said the German, who has Bridgestone tyres on his Ferrari, whereas brother Ralf uses Michelin tyres on the Williams-BMW.
Return To Indy Racing For Goodyear?
Product NewsThere are reports that Goodyear is planning to return to the Indy Racing League and the Indianapolis 500 as the sole tyre supplier for the 2003 season. An earlier return is not possible, as Bridgestone/Firestone has an exclusive agreement until 2002.Goodyear has supplied tyres to the IRL in the past, but ceased in 1999.
New And More OE Contracts For Bridgestone From GM
Product NewsWorldwide, the Bridgestone group has won new and additional OE business from General Motors, the world’s largest purchaser of tyres. Continental too will supply more tyres this year than last. It is said that Michelin asked for a significant price increase and voluntarily gave up supply volumes.
Confidence In Bridgestone And Firestone
Product NewsJohn Lampe has spent all his working life with Firestone and then Bridgestone/Firestone. He has recently been put in charge of the Bridgestone group’s largest subsidiary, Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. in the USA. In addition – and this is a first for Bridgestone and very rare for large Japanese businesses – Lampe sits on the board. This illustrates how highly he is thought of in what are difficult times for the company. In our exclusive interview, he talks of the relationship between Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. and Ford. However, since the interview, this attitude changed dramatically, with Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. ending its business relationship with Ford. Our follow-up article after the Lampe interview traces this change in attitude and the increasingly-bitter war of words as the companies try to pin the blame on each other.
Wilson Retires As MD of Bridgestone/Firestone UK
Product NewsJim Wilson, Managing Director of Bridgestone/Firestone UK since 1995 has retired to return home to the USA. Wilson joined Firestone in 1965 and has worked overseas since 1967. His position will be held by marketing director Chikuma Otsuki until further notice.
Another Recall For Firestone
Product NewsAfter last year’s disaster, Firestone is now making a voluntary recall of 98,000 Firehawk GTA-02 tyres. The size is P205/55 R16 and the tyres were mostly fitted as OE on Nissan Altima sedans in the USA. The problem is an over-wide steel belt which could lead to cracking at the shoulder – the design has since been modified. Both Bridgestone/Firestone and Nissan stress that the move is purely precautionary and that there have been no tread separations, accidents or claims associated with the tyre.
“Sportec M-1” To Replace Metzeler’s “ME Z3”
Product NewsWith the arrival of the “Sportec M-1”, Metzeler has launched its latest motorcycle tyre which is planned to replace the “ME Z3”. The international press was invited to Biarritz, France, to take a close look at the new tyre designed to meet the niche between the race oriented “Racing” tyre and the touring targeted “ME Z4”. The “M-1” is dedicated to the customer with a sportier riding style. The “Sportec M-1” will be available from the beginning of October in five front wheel dimensions and six real wheel sizes. With a 0° steel-belted carcass and the multi-curvature tyre contour allied to the so-called MAW system (Metzeler Advanced Winding), or with the new compound and tread design, Metzeler has done a great deal to guarantee more enjoyment and safety for motorcyclists using the new “Sportec M-1”. Metzeler say that prices for the new tyre will “match the market requirements”, we can only guess what distribution manager Holger Schwedt means by that. Obviously Metzeler want to offer the “Sportec M-1” below the price of its predecessor, the “ME Z3″, in order to minimise the advantage to its competitor, Bridgestone, who – if you look at market shares – came very close to the German market leader in recent years. ” We are no longer seeking to simply retain a stable market share, we wish to fight for more,” explained Schwedt.
About Turn For Bridgestone/Firestone As It Re-hires Workers
Product NewsThere are reports that, in the USA, Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. will be re-engaging 330 of the 700 workers who the company laid off recently from its Oklahoma City factory. The plant manufactures passenger car tyres and the latest move is in response to a need to increase output because of rising sales.
Firestone Settles Another Case In Texas
Product NewsBridgestone Firestone USA has paid an undisclosed amount of money to relatives of a woman who died after an Explorer rollover in which her son was also injured. It will be interesting to see what Ford will do. Two weeks ago it was the other way around when Ford settled a case first and Firestone agreed later to pay US$7.5 million.
Partnership Between Point-S And Bridgestone
Product NewsThe German cooperation organisation Point-S and Bridgestone-Firestone are working more, and closer, together than in the past. Point-S is evidently reducing volumes with Pirelli and Michelin, which are the biggest suppliers to the fast-growing Viborg group.
Truck Point – Independent Service
Product NewsThe formation of ContiNetwork, a service based partnership with independent dealers, has been much in the news recently. Bridgestone/Firestone UK has been running a similar network for over five years, called Truck Point, and the company was embarking on an exercise to raise the profile of the network. Our article examines what’s on offer to the dealer and to the fleet operator – the timing of the article is particularly appropriate, as Bridgestone/Firestone UK recently announced that it had won the contract to service the 3,000-strong BRS commercial rental fleet.
Donations From Bridgestone/Firestone Too
Product NewsBridgestone/Firestone has donated 100,000 US Dollars (108,178 Euro) to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Customers can also make donations.
