EBC Brakes Partners with Bridgestone

It is no small accomplishment for a smaller company such as EBC Brakes to find itself as a preferred partner of Bridgestone, but following successful pilot testing, a nationwide rollout of EBC Brakes to all 163 of the Bridgestone First Stop fitting centres is underway. Publishing the news EBC pointed out that there is absolutely no financial connection between the two companies. Instead the relationship is described as: “Merely an exploitation of a common quality base of consumers looking for good tyres and good brakes in one location.”

According to EBC managing director and chief executive, Andy Freeman, the company is now well underway with setting up First Stop outlets with brakes. Product and fitter training is now also underway.

EBC Brakes is a privately owned brake manufacturer with a large factory in Bristol, UK and is now describes itself as “Britain’s last independent manufacturer producing the largest range of disc brake pads in the world.” As Part of the Freeman group with worldwide sales of over £40 million EBC Brakes produces high quality brake pads and discs and is returning record profits in its strategy of retaining manufacture of higher quality parts within the UK rather than following the trend of all its competitors of exporting jobs, technology and profits to lower cost countries.

EBC Brakes blames factor groups for driving down price and quality and has decided to embrace groups such as First Stop allowing them to offer better quality product and prices to their tyre customers in a new Brake and tyre fitting centre approach. Bridgestone currently have over 160 First Stop members and are scrutinising more tyre fitting stations to expand the First Stop network.

EBC brakes will be exhibiting at Brityrex in May, where they will explain the details of the agreement to any interested parties.