John Lampe: “Family-Channel was our escape”

John Lampe, who is CEO of Bridgestone/Firestone Americas Holding and the first foreigner to become a member of the board of the Japanese parent company, certainly enjoys great respect among American tyre bosses. Even a forced tyre recall that cost the company more than 1 billion dollars couldn’t bring Bridgestone to its knees. After a billion dollar loss in 1999, last year Bridgestone/Firestone Americas could again report 90 million in profits.

And this positive trend doesn’t seem to be coming to an end. “Obviously we are far away from what a business with an 8 billion dollar turnover has to achieve,” John Lampe tells TYRES & ACCESSORIES at the SEMA show in Las Vegas. Lampe doesn’t speak in terms of “yesterday and today”, but in categories “before and after the recall” and explains to T&A the measures taken for recovery and change.

It is like this: all “core products” will be marketed exclusively through Bridgestone’s “Family-Channel”. As well as the Bridgestone sales chain, independent tyre dealers belong to the Family-Channel. .