Firestone Archives - Page 27 of 54 - Tyrepress

Tag Archive for: Firestone

Tyre Aging Tests Given the Nod

In the US a 33-member task force comprised of tyre manufacturers, automotive industry officials, independent experts and government have given their endorsement to a proposal to test the durability of aging tyres. This test, which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) hopes to implement in 2007, will most likely involve placing tyres in a high oxygen environment and subjecting them to temperatures of up to 66° Celsius (150 degrees Fahrenheit) for periods of 8 or 10 weeks.

21st December 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

End of an Era in Oklahoma City

The final tyre has been produced at the Bridgestone/Firestone plant in Oklahoma City only eight months after Bridgestone Firestone North America announced its impending closure. The plant produced budget tyres for the low-end segment of the market, a market where demand has been shrinking in the face of vigorous overseas competition.

The tyremaker has disclosed that the Oklahoma City facility, which had a daily output of more than 26,000 tyres, recorded a loss of US$40 million (£20.5 million).

18th December 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Outline Plans for Plant Refurbishment

On December 8 Bridgestone Firestone North America outlined its intention to invest at least US$33 million in its Aiken County, South Carolina tyre plant in the next four years as part of plans to purchase new production facilities and retool existing equipment.

11th December 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Striking Employees Voice Concerns Over Tyre Quality

Striking Goodyear employees have warned the public to think carefully when choosing new tyres for their vehicle in the next few months. Their concerns are based upon potential safety issues posed by Goodyear tyres manufactured by replacement non-union labour.

“These tyres aren’t being built by professionals that know what they’re doing,” stated striking worker Tom Angell. “They’re just people they’ve pulled out of temporary agencies. People that have basically never built tyres before in their life.”

5th December 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Two Promoted at BFNAT

(Akron/Tire Review) Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire has named Tim Dunn as director of brand/supply chain marketing, and Steve rammer as director of consumer tyres retail. Both will report to Phil Pasci, BFNAT’s vice president of consumer marketing. Dunn succeeds Pasci, who was promoted earlier this year, in the director position, and will advertising, retail marketing, product planning and supply chain marketing. Rammer will be responsible for BFNAT’s north and south retail regions, Canada and corporate accounts.

4th December 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Says Plants Pass Quality Audits

(Akron/Tire Review) Trying to counter striking worker questions about the quality of tyres being made by temporary workers at Goodyear tyre plants, the tyremaker said that independent quality audits of three of its tyre plants found the company was in 100 per cent compliance with its quality standards. Goodyear said that NSF Industrial Strategic Registrations audits at its Buffalo, Danville, Va., and Fayetteville, N.C. plants – all being struck by the United Steelworkers – found Goodyear’s systems in complete compliance to international quality systems standards.

1st December 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Kings Road Tyres to Offer Products Online

Kings Road Tyres began wholesaling over 30 years ago and was one of the few companies that, back then, saw the need for an alternative supply chain into the market. Since that time KRT has developed a nationwide delivery system operating from its own distribution centres throughout the UK and Ireland, using its own fleet of vehicles, and over the years has built a consistent and reliable distribution service. The most recent development at the company sees KRT keep pace with future trends. From the early part of 2007 the wholesaler will offer its products online via the Internet. Full details of this service will be available soon.

27th November 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

BFNAT Drops Champ Car Sponsorship, Keeps Tyre Deal

(Akron/Tire Review) Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire has ended its title sponsorship of the Champ Car World Series, but the Bridgestone brand will remain the spec tyre for the open wheel series. BFNAT announced the change this past weekend after signing a tyre supply contract extension with the series.

21st November 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone’s Wilson Facility Approved to Supply Run-Flats to BMW

Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT) has announced that its Wilson, North Carolina facility has sent its first shipment of Bridgestone run-flat (RFT) tyres to BMW. It is the first BFNT facility in the US to produce Bridgestone-brand run-flats. The 225/45R17 91W Bridgestone Potenza RE050A RFT tyres will be shipped to BMW’s assembly plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina for original equipment application on the BMW Z4.

14th November 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Respected Industry Veteran Don Driver Passes Away

(Akron/Tire Review) Longtime tyre industry veteran and current Giti Tire sales director Don Driver died unexpectedly on Oct. 14. The well-known and respected tireman was 56, and apparently suffered a heart attack. Driver began his tyre career as a territory sales representative with Michelin in the early 1970s, moving on to Canada’s Active Green+Ross as a commercial salesman later that decade. He then joined Bridgestone/Firestone Canada and spent 17 years with the tyremaker, including a stint as national sales manager. Driver then moved on to Maine Industrial Tire as vice president of sales and marketing before joining Giti Tire in 2003. He leaves wife, Carolyn, and sons, David and Shane.

13th November 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Dueler H/L 400 Tyres are OE on Mazda SUV

(Akron/Tire Review) Mazda’s all-new CX-9 SUV will ride on Bridgestone Dueler H/L 400 radials, Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire announced. Available in three models, the CX-9 will be fitted with Bridgestone Dueler H/L 400s in sizes P245/60R18 104H and P245/50R20 102V.

6th November 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

New Slogans For BFNAT

Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire (BFNAT) used its dealer meeting, run in parallel with the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, to unveil new slogans for its Bridgestone and Firestone tyre brands. “It’s Bridgestone or Nothing” is the new tagline for the Bridgestone brand, while the Firestone brand will be tagged with “A Tradition of Innovation.” Bridgestone UK and Europe representatives told Tyres & Accessories that there are no current plans to transfer the new slogans to markets on this side of the Atlantic.

3rd November 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

BFNAT Begins Oklahoma City Cuts

(Akron/Tire Review) The Associated Press has reported that Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire has begun cutting employment at its Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, tyre plant, which is scheduled to close by the end of this year. Some 400 employees, said the report, will be laid off by the end of this month. In April, BFNAT announced that it would close the plant, eliminating 1,400 jobs there.

31st October 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Firestone: Brand Awareness Campaign Successful

A nationwide campaign to drive sales and raise awareness of Firestone-branded tyres has “proved a major success” according to Bridgestone UK. The UK wing of the Japanese manufacturer is reporting impressive feedback from its recent Firestone Together initiative, which centred on a consumer reward promotion offering motorists a free family portrait in return for Firestone purchases.

30th October 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Firestone Begins Dayton Plant Closure Programme

Back in April, Bridgestone Firestone North America gave notice that the Dayton plant in Oklahoma City would be closed down by the end of the year. The first tranche of layoffs has begun, with around 400 of the 1,400-strong workforce being told that they will lose their jobs by the end of this month.

19th October 2006/by Tyrepress Editors