New Firestone Agricultural Tyre Plant Manager Appointed

The Firestone agricultural tyre factory in Des Moines, USA has a new plant manager. Company veteran Norvel Smith has been appointed to the position at the Firestone Agricultural Tire (FSAG) plant in Iowa, effective October 16.

“We are confident that Norvel will be a strong asset to our team. Safety and quality are Norvel’s top priorities and with his experience and ability to motivate people we will continue to build upon the many successes here in Des Moines,” said Ken Allen, vice president, FSAG.

Smith joined then-Bridgestone USA in 1972 and has held many positions of increasing responsibility, including: staff engineer and engineering supervisor at the BFNT facility in LaVergne, Tennessee; mixing and tyre room manager and plant engineer at the BFNT facility in Warren County, Tennessee; operations manager at the former BFNT facility in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and special projects manager at the Bridgestone Americas Support Center in Nashville, Tennessee. In this new position Norvel has succeeded Joe Ivy, who elected to leave the company.

“I am very excited to become part of a team that has made Firestone Agricultural Tire ‘the leader in the field’,” said Norvel.

In addition to his responsibilities as plant manager, Smith also plans to give back to the community by dedicating personal time to organisations that are important to the company and community. Norvel was involved with several community organisations during his time in Nashville, such as the United Way and Percy Priest Lake cleanups. He also is a member of the Kids of the Community in Warren County. Smith earned a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Kansas.