Bridgestone Firestone Announces Management Changes
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Dec. 3, 2007) - Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT) has announced that Ralph Burchfield, President Off Road Products Division (ORPD) (an operating group of BFNT) and Firestone Agricultural Tire Company (a business unit of ORPD), and a member of the Board of Directors of BFNT, has elected to retire effective January 1, 2008. The company has also announced that, due to Burchfield's decision to retire, it will streamline its organizational structure and eliminate the ORPD operating group. Effective January 1, 2008, the businesses which are part of the ORPD group - Firestone Agricultural Tire Company (FSAG), the Off Road Tire group (OTR) and Firestone Tube Company (FSTU) -- will report directly to Asahiko "Duke" Nishiyama, President, BFNT.
Mark A. Emkes, Chairman and CEO of BFNT and Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. (BSAH) said, "I would like to thank Ralph on behalf of the entire Bridgestone Americas team for all of his hard work and efforts. I know I speak for many of us here when I say how grateful we are for his leadership, his sense of humor and his business acumen. He has contributed significantly to our company and the success that we've enjoyed in the ORPD group."
Burchfield, an Ohio native, began his career with the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company (a predecessor to BFNT) in 1971 in retail sales. He quickly rose through the ranks and in 1978 embarked on an international career with assignments in West Africa, New Zealand and Spain. Returning to the United States in 1994, Burchfield quickly became an integral member of the FSAG team, accepting positions of increasing responsibility. In 2000 he was promoted to President, FSAG, and in 2003 he accepted the position of President of the newly created ORPD group. Burchfield is a graduate of Miami University (Ohio) and holds Bachelors degrees in Marketing and Chemistry/Pre-Med.
In addition to announcing a streamlined organizational structure, the company has also named the leadership team for FSAG, OTR and FSTU, effective January 1, 2008:
FSAG - Kenneth Allen. Currently Executive Director Sales and Marketing, FSAG, will be promoted to Vice President, FSAG. Allen joined BFNT/FSAG in 2002 and has extensive experience in the tire business, including more that 13 years in the AG tire business prior to joining FSAG. An Iowa native, he holds a bachelors degree in industrial engineering from Iowa State University and a masters degree in general studies (focus on business and education) from Drake University.
OTR - Thomas Shawn Rasey. A member of the OTR team since 1992, Rasey will be promoted to Vice President, OTR. Rasey is currently Executive Director, OTR, a position he has held since April, 2007. He attended Wright State University and Weber State University, and has earned a bachelors degree in human relations from Trevecca Nazarene University.
FSTU - Scott Gateley. General Manager, FSTU. Gateley holds a bachelors degree in chemistry from Arkansas Tech University. Born in Arkansas, he joined BFNT in 1986 and rose through the hourly ranks to positions of increasing responsibility, including Engineer; Manager, Development and Tech Services; and Production Manager. He was promoted to his current position, General Manager, in 2005.
About Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC:
Nashville, Tenn.-based Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT) is a subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc., whose parent company, Bridgestone Corporation, is the world's largest tire and rubber company. BFNT develops, manufactures and markets Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires. The company is focused on wholesale and original equipment markets, supplying passenger, light truck, commercial vehicle, off the road, motorcycle, agricultural and other tires to its customers in North America.
About BFNT Off Road Products Group:
Off The Road Products Group (ORPD) is a division of Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC. ORPG comprises Firestone Agricultural Tire, Bridgestone Firestone Off The Road Tire Company and Firestone Tube Company.
About Firestone Agricultural Tire:
Firestone Agricultural Tire (FSAG), a significant contributor to the Off The Road Products Group (ORPD) and a division of Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC, is the industry leader in the manufacturing, marketing and sale of agricultural tires. FSAG's Des Moines, Iowa, facility is located in the heart of America's farm belt and supplies half of the North American original equipment market and about 40 percent of the replacement market with agricultural tires. FSAG also has approximately 50 percent of the market in harvesting and planting machinery. The FSAG testing facility, located in Columbiana, Ohio, is the only facility in the world solely dedicated to the development and testing of agricultural tires. In addition to agricultural tires, FSAG markets and sells forestry, ATV and construction tires.
About Firestone Tube Company:
Firestone Tube Company (FSTU), a division of Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC's Off The Road Products Group (ORPD), is a global force in the sale and distribution of inner tubes for all applications from small lawn and garden tubes to large farming and forestry tubes. Firestone Tube Company has been located in Russellville, Ark., since 1964, and is the only manufacturer of inner tubes in the United States and Canada. Currently FSTU has more than 30 percent of the global market for inner tubes, clearly positioning the tube company as the world leader in the mature inner tube industry. Along with inner tubes, FSTU also produces other rubber products used in re-treading applications as well as custom mixed rubber used in the manufacturing of tires.
