Bridgestone Archives - Page 194 of 275 - Tyrepress

Based in Japan, Bridgestone Corporation is the world’s largest tyre and rubber company.

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Bandag Offers New Tread Design

Bandag announced today it is now offering BDY2ä, Bandag Drive Severe Service 2, in the North American market. Working with Canadian fleets, Bandag specifically engineered this retread tire design for severe service conditions where superior traction is required from a drive position tyre.

“We understand that keeping fleets up and running on time is critical to the oil field and logging industries. BDY2Ä is a next-generation design offering more aggressive traction than its predecessor,” says Chris Hoffman, product manager of global tyre products for Bandag. “Our retread tyre design complements the new Bridgestone M775 on/off highway radial tyres and has rapidly been put into use by fleets in both Canada and the western United States.”

25th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

BFNT’s Gamauf to Retire

The vice-president of Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire (BFNT), John K. Gamauf, will retire from the company effective as of May 1, 2008. Gamauf, who also holds the office of president, Consumer Replacement Tire Sales, will be replaced by John Baratta, who currently serves as vice president, North American Consumer Tires Sales, BFNT. Baratta’s successor has yet to be named. Gamauf will continue to serve on BFNT’s board of directors.

Mark A. Emkes, chairman and CEO of BFNT and its parent company, Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. (BSAH) said: “I would like to thank John Gamauf on behalf of the entire Bridgestone Americas team for the great job he has done during his long, successful career with our company. Under his leadership, he and his team have developed the best consumer tyre dealer network in the country. Not only has he grown our consumer replacement tyre sales to record levels, he’s also done a tremendous job developing the individuals who make up his team. The result is the deepest and most talented bench in the industry. John’s truly ‘done it all’ when it comes to retail tyre sales.”

25th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone F1 Tyres ‘Essentially the Same’ as 2007

Bridgestone reports that Formula 1 teams are busy testing ahead of the 2008 season, with most running their new cars at the latest test session at Valencia in Spain, and teams have the benefit of racing on tyres that are fundamentally the same as those tried and tested last year. Interest in the new season seems at an all-time high with a staggering 35,000 crowding the track to watch the Ferrari duo of Felipe Massa and defending World Champion Kimi Raikkonen set the fastest times.

Perhaps most impressive, however, was Nico Rosberg who finished third on the timesheets in the new Williams FW30, which had only had its first shakedown the day before. Rosberg’s best time was just a tenth behind Raikkonen and two-tenths faster than McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen. The man most of the crowd had come to see – Spain’s double World Champion Fernando Alonso – finished the day with the sixth fastest time behind countryman and McLaren test-driver Pedro de la Rosa.

24th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Keeps Charity Rolling with Tyre Donation

Bridgestone has donated a consignment of tyres to Mercy Ships, the international charity operating hospital ships that provide health care in some of the world’s poorest countries. A selection of Bridgestone’s rugged 4×4 Dueller tyres have been supplied, and these will see use on vehicles that travel into remote areas of the bush, across difficult terrain and dirt tracks to reach sick people that otherwise could not be treated.

For Des Collins, vice president Public Relations, Bridgestone Europe, this donation makes sense in several ways: “Bridgestone has a sister company in Liberia, Firestone Natural Rubber Company, which employs more than 6,000 people in the production of natural rubber. As a part of its commitment to employees and their families in Liberia, Firestone operates its own schools and hospitals there, and consequently knows well the local need for health care. Therefore, Bridgestone was attracted to helping Mercy Ships in their efforts in West Africa and we are confident that the Dueller 4×4 tyres will help them in their great work.”

24th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone to Increase PCR Capacity in Thailand

Bridgestone Corporation has announced that its subsidiary in Thailand, Thai Bridgestone Co. Ltd., will boost capacity at its Nong Khae passenger car tyre facility. Daily production capacity will increase 6,000 units by the end of 2010, giving the plant a total daily capacity of 36,500 tyres. The pcr tyres produced at the Nong Khae plant, including UHP products, are sold on the domestic market and are also exported to other parts of Asia, Europe and North America. The increase in capacity will reportedly be mainly used to supply export markets.

21st January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Renews US Service Centre Deal

The North American truck drivers’ rest and service centre chain TravelCenters of America has extended its truck tyre supply agreement with Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire for a further seven years. At present more than 230 “TravelCenters of America” and “Petro: Lube” branded truck repair locations operate throughout the US and Canada. The tyremaker will continue to be the exclusive premium tyre supplier to all company owned outlets, as well as to the company’s fleet of 400 “RoadSquad” service vehicles, through to December 31, 2014.

18th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

First Test for ‘Official’ Bridgestone F1 Tyres

Bridgestone Motorsport had its first outing in the capacity of official tyre supplier to the Formula One world championships between January 14 and 16, when nine of the eleven competing teams attended the opening test of the 2008 season at the Jerez circuit in Spain. A mixture of 2007 and 2008 specification cars were tested by a variety of race and test drivers through the field over the three days, and in keeping with the 2008 regulations, teams ran without traction control and used the standard ECU.

Mixed weather conditions greeted all teams present – BMW Sauber and Honda Racing opted not to attend – and Bridgestone’s dry weather medium compound Potenza grooved racing tyre dominated the proceedings. The wet and extreme wet racing rubber were not wholly relegated to the tyre rack, however; conditions on Monday morning and Wednesday provided an opportunity for their use. Afterwards, Bridgestone Motorsport Technical Manager Tetsuro Kobayashi spoke of the lessons learned at Jerez:

18th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Long Term Dedication

Tired of tyres? Feel as if you can no longer spring out of bed in the morning and embrace the joys of automotive parts and accessories? A 76-year-old US woman puts you to shame….

An Indiana based media website, indystar.com, reports that Carolyn Jennings, a clerical employee at the Firestone Industrial Products plant in Noblesville, Indiana, has clocked up 55 years with the company. This makes her the longest serving Bridgestone-Firestone employee anywhere in the world. Joining the company as a secretary, Jennings has displayed a level of dedication to her job that her supervisor, Bob Kelleher, says he wishes he could “bottle”. Jennings did not miss work due to sickness once during her first 14 years with the company, and has been known to remain at her post even when other employees have gone home due to severe weather conditions.

17th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Designs Tire for Hummer HX Concept

Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire, in cooperation with General Motors, has designed a Dueler concept tyre for the Hummer HX concept sport utility truck, introduced by GM at the 2008 North American International Auto Show.

The 35-inch tall tyres, engineered specifically for the HX, are mounted to the concept car’s 20-inch rims and feature a striking, deep-skid directional tread pattern with large, stiff lugs that provide excellent traction on a variety of driving surfaces. The tread lugs, stretching halfway down the sidewall, offer extra grip in deep sand, snow and mud and protect the tyre from punctures during off-road activities, such as rock crawling, BFNAT said.

15th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Dueler OE for New Generation Toyota SUV

In 2007 and 2008 Toyota is launching in numerous global markets the next generation model of its Highlander 4×4, and Bridgestone has announced that in North America the smaller sibling of the Landcruiser will come fitted with Dueler H/L 400 tyres as original equipment. The 270 hp 3.5 litre V6 powered vehicle is available in three versions: The entry level Base will be sold with P245/65R17 105S size tyres, while the Highlander Sport and Limited, both supplied with 19-inch alloy wheels as standard, will be fitted with the P245/55R19 103S.

The Dueler H/L – the “H/L” being short for ‘highway luxury’ – 400 has a directional all-season tread pattern for wet and dry traction. The tyre is also fitted as OE to the Audi Q7, BMW X5, Mazda CX-9 and Acura MDX in North American markets. While the H/L 400 is not sold on this side of the Atlantic, similar models in the Dueler family, such as the H/L 683, are available in the UK.

14th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Citroen-Bridgestone Deal Ends Michelin OE Exclusivity

The seven-decade exclusive supply relationship between Michelin and French carmaker Citroen will come to an end next year. For the first time since the 1930s Citroen has selected another manufacturer’s products as original equipment for its cars; when Citroen’s new C2 and C3 models are released in the second half of 2009, Bridgestone will act as a second-source supplier.

11th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Stoner Not Worried About Rossi’s Bridgestone Switch

Bridgestone’s motorsport poster-boy for 2007, MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner, has told reporters he’s unconcerned about the threat rival Valentino Rossi may pose in the upcoming season following the Italian rider’s switch from Michelin to Bridgestone tyres. Speaking at an Italian ski resort, venue for the launch of a new Ducati cycle, Stoner commented: “Everyone is always asking me if we’re worried about it. We’re just worried about our own situation.

“I’m not afraid of the fact that Valentino is on Bridgestones,” stoner added. “We saw at the first test there was nothing in particular very special, but we will have to see as the season goes on.” Rossi finished the year two places behind his Australian counterpart, and his negative comments regarding the performance of his Michelin tyres were widely circulated in the media.

9th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone to Expand US OTR Tyre Plant

Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire intends to expand operations at its Bloomington OTR tyre facility, situated in the Illinois town of Normal. According to preliminary reports, curing capacity for large size loader tyres produced at the plant will be doubled, and new OTR sizes will also be introduced. The company says that at least US$12 million will be invested in the facility over a five-year period, with 50 new jobs created during the course of 2008.

9th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Marangoni Tread Appoints New European Marketing Manager

Marangoni Tread S.p.A has announced the appointment of Martin Kalagin to the position of marketing manager, a role in which he will oversee all Marangoni Tread and Ellerbrock marketing activities in Europe, with a particular focus placed upon the promotion of the company’s RingTread System.

Before joining Marangoni, Kalagin spent close to a decade working for Bridgestone Europe, Marangoni’s former joint venture partner, in Brussels. Originally employed in the Field Engineering & Product Planning Department, from 2004 Kalagin served as business development manager for the company’s European retreading operations.

8th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

KRT Appointed Michelin UK Agricultural Tyre Wholesaler

After over 30 years of specialising in the marketing and distribution of agricultural tyres, the latest news from Kings Road Tyres (KRT) is that the Michelin recently appointed the wholesale specialist as its Agricultural Tyre Wholesaler for the UK. The announcement comes two years after Michelin appointed Kings Road Tyres as the sole supplier of its Taurus agricultural tyres to the UK. And this move in itself followed KRT’s appointment as sole supplier of the Stomil-Olsztyn / Kormoran range of products, another Michelin Group brand.

4th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors