summer06 inroadsPressAgain802.qxp 8/15/2006 … · 2 inRoads Summer2006 The sounds of summer are...

inRoadsBridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC Summer 2006

page ................................8

Awards page ............................6,7

Motorsport page ................................5

Consumer page ..........................4,11

Truck & Bus page ............................4,5

Dealers page........................2,3,8,9

ExecutiveEdge

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Enthusiast

Be a Community Leader in Safety!There is one thing that all ofyour customers are

concerned about and that is safety. Drivershold their breath as they pass an accident,cross their fingers as their family memberpulls out of the driveway, and sigh in reliefwhen missing a near fender bender.Everyone can benefit from learningtechniques to be safer on the road.

As a dealer, you are in a unique positionto provide drivers with the tools, literallyand figuratively, to keep them safe. Weencourage you to talk to your customersabout programs and resources available tothem as a means to continually sharpentheir driving skills.

Bridgestone Firestone North AmericanTire, LLC (BFNT) has worked with legendaryrace car driver Mario Andretti to develop acomprehensive program to educate youngdrivers on tire and driver safety called KnowYour M.A.R.I.O.S. (Mario Andretti's RealInformation On Safety). The Know YourM.A.R.I.O.S. booklets are a great way to

informcustomersabout safe

driving and tire maintenance. Hand theM.A.R.I.O.S. booklets out at your store,community events, local schools, etc. and beknown as the dealer who cares aboutpromoting safety. To request M.A.R.I.O.S.booklets, please contact Susan Sizemore at(615) 937-1417 or download a PDF versionfrom www.tiresafety.com.

Driver's Edge, sponsored by Bridgestone,is another program with a focus on safety.Taught by professional racecar drivers andperformance driving instructors, Driver'sEdge educates young drivers behind thewheel by offering a “seat of the pants”experience, accident avoidance maneuversin a controlled environment, local lawenforcement interaction and proper car caredemonstrations. This free program is

available to drivers aged 15-21; visitwww.DriversEdge.org to see when andwhere the program is offered.

You can also reach out to your homecommunity by conducting your own CarCare Academy, an educational program onproper car care. BFNT will send interesteddealers a complete program kit whichincludes all the materials needed for asuccessful Car Care Academy. This fantasticgrassroots tool provides your customerswith a hands-on experience and reallyshows your community you care aboutsafety. Reach out to your communitymembers and provide priceless tips andinstruction at no cost to the participants.Call (800) 792-8807 for more informationand to receiveyour Car CareAcademy do-it-yourself kit.

Finally, this past spring, BFNT launched anew program called Safety Scholars.Students were asked to compose essays ondriver safety-related topics for a chance toearn a college scholarship or one of themany other prizes. The response wastremendous. The idea behind the programwas to find new and better ways tocommunicate safety messages to youngdrivers by asking them for their ideas. Tens ofthousands of entries were received, and thecontest winners will be announced this fall.Watch for more Bridgestone Firestoneprograms that can help you be a communityleader and set the standard for safety.

Feature

page ................................9OE

page ..............................10Where’sMario

The sun might beshining now but

soon it will be snowing in some areas. Now is thetime to order your winter tires, see inside storyregarding Bridgestone®-brand Blizzak® tireaccolades, page 7.

page ..............................11Environment

page ..............................12Drive &Learn

summer06 inroadsPressAgain802.qxp 8/15/2006 2:40 PM

2 inRoads Summer2006

The soundsof summer

are all around us, but theplanning for the nextseasons continues withgreat gusto as we preparefor back to school, the

winter selling season, and an increasinglycompetitive and challenging globalmarketplace.

In this edition of inRoads, we continueour tradition of preparing you for theupcoming seasons by providing you thebest resources available in the industry andideas you can use in your marketing,including highlights of dealer activities aswell as tips you can use with yourcustomers. This summer issue of inRoadsalso highlights the many safety initiativeswe've undertaken in North America (such asour safety outreach to the “driving”community through our Drive & Learninitiative, the Driver's Edge teen drivingprogram, and the M.A.R.I.O.S. safetycampaign), as well as the technologicaladvantages we are incorporating into ourproducts.

inRoads is your newsletter...it is acommunication vehicle designed for you, tohelp you take your business to the nextlevel. Since we want to make sure that ournewsletter is accurate, concise, timely and

relevant to your business, we are alwayslooking for ways to make it better. In thisedition, we're highlighting stories and toolsintended to increase your business, yourbottom line and your presence in yourcommunity. Future editions of inRoads willinclude new features such as “DealerSpotlight” and “Toolbox” that will focus witheven greater intensity on your needs.

As I have said in the past, my door isalways open to you. Please don't hesitate tolet your sales representative or me knowhow we can better serve you. And, if youwould like to share any of your special sales,marketing or community relations initiativeswith us, or have an idea for a future editionof inRoads, please don't hesitate to contactour editor, Susan Sizemore. I cannotunderscore enough that we are in businesstogether, working together to provide apositive experience for our customers.

A profound statement by Helen Keller isfitting for our vast and global network,“Alone we can do so little; together we cando so much.”

As always, my best to you, and let's enjoythe journey.

Best regards,

Mark A. Emkes

A Note from Mark EmkesExecutive

Edge

For 10 years now, theBridgestone Firestone Truck & Bus Tiregroup has hosted BizCon, the meeting manydealers consider “the best commercial tirebusiness conference in the industry.” Fromsales to leadership, marketing to operations,customer service to the future of trucking —BizCon seminars assist dealers in theirbusiness.

April 2006 marked the 10th BizCon,which was held this year in Washington,D.C. The theme of the meeting was“Independent Branding” and marked thelaunch of Bridgestone Firestone NorthAmerican Tire, LLC's establishment ofdistinct Bridgestone®-brand and

Firestone®-brand trucktire Web sites todifferentiateBridgestone andFirestone truck tires.

“Establishing distinctand recognizablebrands is the only wayto be able to sellagainst increasingcompetition fromoffshore truck tires thatsell only on price,” said Singh Ahluwalia,president of Truck & Bus Tires.

See related story, page 5.

BizCon10 Gathers Leaders to Learn, Network and InspireDealers

Singh Ahluwalia, president ofBridgestone Firestone North AmericanTire, LLC's Truck & Bus Tires, was oneof the dynamic speakers at BizCon10.


3Summer2006 inRoads

Taking care of yourcustomer's tire and service

needs has never been easier thanks to theCornerStone point of sale (POS) system nowavailable for Bridgestone Firestone NorthAmerican Tire, LLC's network of AffiliatedDealers. The new POS system went “live”this May and is currently rolling out tolocations across the country.

“At Bridgestone Firestone, we are excitedto be able to offer this professional systemto our family of Affiliated Dealers, and weknow that dealers who use the system willbe equally pleased with it,” said KirkSutherland, manager, Family Channel POS,BFNT. “The state-of-the-art technology anduser-friendly features enable our dealers toeasily and professionally service theircustomers' vehicles while giving them theinformation they need to manage andimprove their business.”

BFS Retail & Commercial Operations, LLC,

BFNT’s sister company, has been using thisPOS program for six years in its more than2,200 company-owned stores, and nowBFNT's dealers will have the opportunity touse it as well. The integrated softwarepackage allows dealers to effectively manageinventories, create easy-to-follow work ordersfor automotive repairs and print anorganized and customer friendly invoice,while storing customer history. All of thisallows dealers to enhance customersatisfaction and improve the accuracy andefficiency of their business.

The new CornerStone POS system is onemore way that BFNT provides additionalbenefits and services to its Affiliated Dealers.BFNT is in the early stages of rolling out thesystem to its Affiliated Dealers, initialfeedback of the program has been terrific.For more information on the CornerStonePOS system call Kirk Sutherland, manager,Family Channel POS, BFNT at (630) 259-9354.

New POS System Will Simplify Your BusinessDealers

Bridgestonein the News

Fortune - Bridgestone isranked among the mostadmired companies in themotor vehicle parts category ofFortune magazine's 24th annualranking of America's MostAdmired Companies. [March 6]

BASFrefinish.com - “Con-Fuzion,” with its 285/60R18 XLFuzion™ Xti tires, is called“anything but tranquil” withcustomizations from top tobottom, inside and out.[February issue]

The Analyst - Newspaper inMonrovia, Liberia, reports thatEdward Hadji, an educationofficial in the country's GrandBassa County, has laudedFirestone Liberia for “itscontinuous contributions tothe overall growth andimprovement of the Liberianeducation system.” The remarkswere in response to a donationof books and other educationalmaterials the company made tonon-company run schools in theregion. [March 24]

Trucks - Bridgestone Firestonehas taken the all-terrain tire tonew performance levels withthe company's Destination A/T.Available in 24 sizes, for 14- to17-inch rims, and in twodifferent speed ratings, theDestination A/T is just what thedoctor ordered for those folkswhose rigs see more pavementpounding than hard-core offroading. [Issue 42]

NewsPart of History Reenacted, Coast-tto-CCoastThis June, marked the 50thanniversary of the federal law

that brought America its Interstate HighwaySystem, and cities across the nation werepart of the celebration. Events took placealong the route with food, fun and festivities.Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire,LLC participated in every mile of this epicroad trip and hosted an event in Akron,Ohio.

Harvey Firestone founded the FirestoneTire & Rubber Company in Akron more thana century ago and helped put the world onwheels. Firestone launched the Ship By Truckcampaign, encouraging manufacturers,shippers and farmers to rely on trucking as abetter alternative to railroads. The custompainted Ship by Truck trailers that were partof the anniversary convoy (pictured here) are

rolling reminders of the vision Firestone andEisenhower shared for an America linkedcoast-to-coast by an interstate highwaysystem.

In 1919, Harvey Firestone invited theentire U.S. Army convoy to a chicken dinneras they pushed west on their long journeyacross America. Lt. Col. Eisenhower wasthere, and, over a family-style dinner at theFirestone homestead, the two men talkedabout the modern highway system and whatit would take to make that dream a reality.

Recently, the great-grandsons of thosetwo visionaries came together to celebrate50 years of connected roadways and theearly contributions made by their ancestors.Merrill Eisenhower Atwater rode with theconvoy from San Francisco to Washington,D.C., and Andrew Firestone was the launchmaster at the San Francisco event andparticipated in the Akron, Ohio festivities.

News



Did You Know that Bridgestone Tires ProtectedWinter Olympic Athletes?As athletes rose to the

challenge of the Olympic Games anddisplayed steady, confident and superiorperformance, so did Bridgestone® tires. Aproud supporter of the Winter OlympicGames in Turin, Italy, Bridgestone Europe washappy to equip transportation vehicles withits premium tires.

Bridgestone extreme-weather winter bustires helped ensure the safe and timelytransport of competitors, journalists andsupporters to their sporting destinationsduring the past Winter Olympic Games inTurin, Italy. Prominent Italian bus operatorSITA took extra precaution by equipping the10 coaches, serving the international event,with Bridgestone Blizzak® W975 premiumdrive-axle tires.

The precaution paid off. Conditions in theTurin area during the Games were particularlyarduous, due to a combination of densetraffic and heavy snowfalls. The superiorperformance of the Bridgestone Blizzak W975avoided the need to use snow chains —

which would otherwise have had to beattached and removed when travelingthroughout the city, the Olympic village andthe ski slopes. In addition, the tires gave theSITA vehicles a distinct speed advantage overthose of other operators.

“Our senior driver confirmed that the freshsnow and compacted ice made the roadsvery dangerous,” says SITA's TechnicalManager Alessandro Cialone. “He reportedthat the grip of these tires was the best wehave ever experienced. Other drivers werecomplaining about the extra work involved inrepeatedly fitting and removing the chains.”This difference was also acknowledged by theGames organizers, who voiced somefrustration at the delays experienced by othercontractors.

Designed specifically for harshenvironments, the W975 combinesBridgestone's multicell tread compound withsiping that affords outstanding grip on iceand snow. Its casing construction is alsooptimized for superior traction and highstability.

Truck & Bus

New Crossover SUV has the Soul of a Sports Carand Rides on Bridgestone Turanza TiresBridgestone Firestone North

American Tire, LLC recently announced thatBridgestone®-brand Turanza™ tires will beone of the original equipment tires to befitted on Mazda's first crossover sport-utilityvehicle (SUV), the CX-7.

“The Turanza is a luxury touring tire thatcomplements the performance of Mazda'snew purpose-built crossover SUV,” saidMichael Martini, president, OriginalEquipment Consumer Tire, BFNT. “Thisfitment is the result of the ongoingrelationship between the Bridgestone groupand Mazda.”

The Mazda CX-7 arrived in NorthAmerican dealerships in spring 2006. Itpremiered at the Greater Los Angeles andthe North American International Auto

Shows earlier this year. BFNT will supply the 2007 Mazda CX-7

with Bridgestone Turanza EL 42™ tires insize P235/60R18. The Bridgestone TuranzaEL 42 is a T-speed rated, all-season, luxurytouring original equipment tire. It carries aUTQG rating of 300 for treadwear, 'A' fortraction, and 'A' for temperature.

Consumer

Equipped withBridgestone-brandwinter tires, buses wereable to cut throughsnow and ice for safeand efficient travelduring the winterOlympics.

The Pressureis On!Bridgestone

Announces New Multi-AAir Chamber Tire

Keeping an eye on the futureof tire technology, BridgestoneCorporation's extensive R&Defforts went into the creation ofan all-new type of tire contour.Bridgestone's new tire has threeseparate chambers which act aspressure vessels and provide asmoother ride.

The inside of the tire consistsof a main center chamber andsub-chambers on both sides. Theair pressure in each of thechambers can be controlledindependently, making itpossible to adjust the stiffnessand balance between the treadarea and the left and rightsidewalls.

This adjustability ensures idealcontact in any condition, andthus, a more stable andcomfortable drive. It also meansperformance can be adjustedaccording to customer needs,such as comfort ormaneuverability.

Also, since the tire is dividedinto three parts, if the airpressure in one of the chambersdrops significantly, for instancebecause of a nail puncture, theremaining chambers will be ableto support the weight of the tire.So, the tire will be able tocontinue to operate for aspecified distance.

Bridgestone is continuingdevelopment on the multi-airchamber tire for additionalapplications.

News

W975 premium drive-axle tire used ontransportation busesduring the 2006 WinterOlympic Games inTurin.


5Summer2006 inRoads

The World of Motorsports is Only a Click Away Motorsports fans across theglobe can get news and

information about the global Bridgestonegroup's involvement in all of its major motor

racing activities through a new Web site,www.bridgestonemotorsport.com.

The new English language site wasrecently launched and highlights races suchas the FIA Formula One WorldChampionship, the GP2™ Series, MotoGP,Indy® Racing League, Champ Car WorldSeries, Formula Nippon and SUPER GT.Results and point standings for thesechampionships are available, as well asresults for a number of other racingactivities such as the Indy Pro Series andkarting championships.

In addition to regular news, features andinterviews, the Web site will offer visitorsopportunities to win exciting prizes incompetitions, download screensavers and

wallpapers featuring Bridgestone® andFirestone® teams and read all about thegroup's history in motorsports.

“This season marks an important milestonein the motorsports history of both theBridgestone and Firestone brands,” said AlSpeyer, executive director of motorsports,

Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire,LLC. “This year we are celebrating our 10thseason as an official supplier to teams in theFIA Formula One World Championship,beginning our second decade as a supplier tothe Indy Racing League, and also marking ourfourth season as presenting sponsor of theChamp Car World Series. Our new BridgestoneMotorsport Web site is a reflection of thiscommitment to motorsports worldwide.”

Educate your customers about motorsports.Inform them that motor racing informationcan now easily be found atwww.bridgestonemotorsport.com.

Motorsport

The new Bridgestone Motorsport Web site lets fans inon motorsports action.

Susan Robertson, the fastest woman ona motorcycle, gives a few tips to thenext generation of drivers at the HondaGrand Prix of St. Petersburg in Florida.

BFNT Truck & Bus Introduces All-NNew Web SitesBig fleets have different tireneeds than small fleets — so

why should both use the same resource?Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire,

LLC has introduced an all-new Bridgestone®-brand truck tire site exclusively targeted to

larger fleets and a Firestone®-brand sitefor owner-operators and smaller fleets.

“When our fleet customers buyBridgestone-brand, they get more thanpremium tires, they get full-service, totalmanagement,” said Don Darden,marketing communications andadvertising manager, BFNT. “The newBridgestone truck tires site is a completetire resource with valuable informationto help fleets operate more profitably.”

“The Firestone-brand is a hard-working tire for hard-working truckers,”

added Darden. “But trucking is more than ajob, it's a lifestyle, and the Web site easilymixes business with pleasure. There's asection for customers to send in their truckphotos, as well as advice on getting more

miles per dollar from their Firestone tires.”BFNT knows that its customers have

specific needs. These new Web sites aretargeted to meet those needs and providesuperior service for both large and smallfleets.

The sites unveiled at BizCon10, BFNT'sannual Truck & Bus dealer conference, arewww.BridgestoneTruckTires.com andwww.FirestoneTruckTires.com.

Truck & Bus

Tread patterns are just one of the manynew features that help fleet customersfind what they're looking for on therecently launched Web sites.

Helpful tips are available to assist drivers in selectingwhich truck tires will best meet their needs.



GCR Tire Centers are proud toannounce that five more of its truck tireretread facilities have received ISO 9001:2000certification. Retreading facilities inBirmingham, Ala.; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.;Harlingen, Texas; Phoenix, Ariz.; andSacramento, Calif., were recently honored forachieving the requirements of this highlyrecognized, international qualitymanagement system. This brings GCR's totalnumber of ISO 9001:2000 certifications forits retreading facilities to 13.

“Plant personnel at each facilitydemonstrated an outstanding level of

commitment during the entireimplementation process,” said Joe Little,director of North American manufacturing forGCR TireCenters.“Offering ourcustomers this added quality assurancemakes all of our teammates extremelyproud.”

The ISO 9001:2000 certification processrecognizes those facilities that haveundergone and passed an intensive thirdparty examination of globally recognizedquality management system requirements.

GCR Tire Centers Earn Top Quality Standards CertificationAwards

Bridgestone AmericasChairman and CEO Mark Emkes recentlyhonored 18 BSA manufacturing facilities foroutstanding safety performance in 2005 aspart of the annual CEO Safety RecognitionProgram. 2005 marked the third consecutiverecord-breaking year with BSA againlowering its OSHA incidence rate.

Emkes extended his appreciation to all ofthe teammates from the winning plants formaking the family of companies safer and

for their commitment to one ofthe five guiding principles in hisCEO policy — line-driven safetyincluding disaster prevention.Congratulations to all of thewinning teammates andfacilities.

“Recognition for SafetyExcellence” is awarded to plantsthat exceed 1 million hourswithout a lost-time incident orhave reached an outstanding achievement,such as earning OSHA VPP (VoluntaryProtection Program) STAR (Safety ThroughAccountability and Recognition) certification.“Recognition for Safety Improvement” isawarded to facilities with an OSHA incidencerate that is a 15 percent improvement overthe previous year and that is also belowtheir division or company average.“Recognition for Safety Performance” isawarded to plants with fewer than 80teammates who complete the entire yearwithout an OSHA recordable injury or illness.

18 BSA Sites Recognized for Outstanding SafetyPerformanceAwards

Firestone Machine teammates in Akron,Ohio, receive their CEO SafetyPerformance Award for zero OSHArecordable injuries — their fourth suchaward in the past 10 years. FirestoneMachine builds proprietary equipmentfor BSA.

CEO Safety Recognition Award presentation at theLake Charles, La., plant. Pictured here (l-r) are JohnVincent, Bob Gremillion, Donald Pickle, Buddy Guillot,Tim Moses, Steve Trahan, Jim Mathis and Mark Emkes.

Bridgestone Firestone Achieves Excellence!

The Best of the BestA TireStarz and BridgestoneFirestone Affiliated Dealer

both were in the top 44 rated auto repairshops in Chicago. Duxler Libertyville Tire inLibertyville, Ill., and Quality Tire & Auto in

Darien, Ill., were two of the top 44 shopsproudly rated by customers for superioroverall performance. Congratulations andkeep up the good work!

Awards


7Summer2006 inRoads

Bridgestone Blizzak is Recognized by RMAPCustomers might be hittingthe poolside right now, but

before you know it, in some areas, they willbe hitting the winter roads. Be prepared byordering your Bridgestone® Blizzak® tiresnow.

Blizzak tireshave wonaccolades for their solid grip on icy roads.The Rocky Mountain Automotive Pressrecently announced the 2006 “Best Vehiclesof the Rockies” and Bridgestone Blizzak wasnamed as the group's official tire for thesecond consecutive year. Vehicles in theRocky Mountain region are typicallysubjected to harsh winter conditions, snowand ice, mountain roads, high altitudes, andunpaved and off-highway driving. Inconditions like this, Bridgestone Blizzak tiresprovide drivers with the ability to grip theroad and stay safe.

Bridgestone Blizzak tires have various

tread components and designs to providethe perfect winter tire to meet yourcustomers' needs. Blizzak tires also featureBridgestone's UNI-T® technology to providewell-balanced performance in winter

conditions. Thistechnologyenables the

Blizzak tires to cut through and dispersesurface water for improved ice performance.

Order your Blizzak tires now to give yourcustomers their choice of high-quality,award-winning tires this winter.

BridgestoneFirestoneReceives

the NAACP President'sAward

Bridgestone Firestone isproud to have received theNational Association for theAdvancement of Colored People(NAACP) President's Award. TheAiken County plant wasrecognized for its contributionsto education during the recentNAACP Freedom Fund Banquetheld at the University of SouthCarolina-Aiken.

Mike Rose, plant manager,accepted this award on behalfof Aiken County team members.“This award reflects thededication to education anddiversity of all of the teammatesin Aiken County,” commentedRose.

The President's Award isgiven to businesses andindividuals who are committedto education and diversitywhich benefit the community asa whole.

Awards Awards

Eleven Years and Counting, Bridgestone EarnsSupplier of the Year Award from General MotorsFor 11 years running,

Bridgestone Corporation and its global familyof companies, which includes BridgestoneAmericas Holding, Inc. (BSAH) and its businessunits, Bridgestone Firestone North AmericanTire, LLC and Bridgestone Firestone LatinAmerican Tire Operations (BFLA), were namedas a General Motors (GM) Supplier of the Year.

The award is for excellence in tires andrelated service provided in 2005 to GMworldwide by Tokyo-based BridgestoneCorporation and its global group ofcompanies. Bridgestone Corporation SeniorVice President Tatsuya Okajima accepted theaward on behalf of the Bridgestone Group

during a recognition ceremony held in April atGM's Vehicle Engineering Center at theGeneral Motors Technical Center in Warren,Mich.

“Receiving this coveted award for 11 yearsin a row is proof of the dedication andcommitment of our teammates around theworld,” said Mark Emkes, chairman and CEO,BSAH and BFNT. “We are determined tocontinue to provide our customers with tiresand service that will make them and ourBridgestone family of companies proud.”Overall, the Bridgestone Group has earnedthis prestigious award from GM for 13 of thepast 14 years.

Awards

BFNT Plant Wins Silver Crescent AwardBridgestone Firestone NorthAmerican Tire LLC's Aiken

County plant received South Carolina's SilverCrescent Award for ManufacturingExcellence in the large manufacturercategory. The award was presented at theAdvanced Manufacturing & ProductivityExposition and Conference in Greenville, S.C.Created in 2002, the award is based on a

manufacturer'seconomic impact,commitment to thework force andcommunityinvolvement.Congratulations tothe BFNT AikenCounty plant.

Awards


Stay Connected with Gum DippersOriginally known as “TheTwenty-Year Club” — so

named because its members were retiredfrom or had worked for Firestone Tire &Rubber Company for at least 20 years — thepurpose of the “Firestone Gum Dippers” isto connect teammates, former teammates,retirees and their families across miles andyears.

The club was formed in 1980 by seventeammates from the Jacksonville district thatcovered parts of Florida, Georgia and SouthCarolina for what is now BFS Retail &Commercial Operations, LLC (BFRC). Overtime, membership eligibility rules changedto include any former Bridgestone Firestoneteammate who has knowledge of the gumdipping process, giving the organization itscurrent name: the “Firestone Gum Dippers.”The group spread throughout Florida andcontinued to grow to become a nationalorganization.

“At its heart, the Firestone Gum Dippers isa communication and networking tool,” saidRichard Mucciolo, co-chairman of theFirestone Gum Dippers and editor of the

organization's newsletter. “You get touncover people you haven't seen in years orsome that you'd forgotten about.”

Four editions of its newsletter are mailedto members' homes annually, providingupdates and announcements of members'births, deaths, marriages, retirements andsecond careers as well as a membershipdirectory, which helps teammates get intouch with one another. The group also hasan online Web group where members canpost their profiles, messages and photos aswell as send e-mails to other members. Themembership of approximately 800individuals has an annual reunion; last year231 people attended.

Do you meet the requirements to be aFirestone Gum Dipper and want to join?Firestone employees who are nearingretirement, who have retired, or who havemoved onto their next careers — as well asany interested dealers — are eligible to join.For more information about becoming amember or receiving the newsletter of theFirestone Gum Dippers contact Joe Scott at(727) 319-3554.

Dealers


R-SSquadron Shows Off its Trend-SSetting VehiclesMeet the team that isshowing off! Derek Chen and

his Bridgestone Firestone Canada Inc. (BFCA)sponsored team of modified cars, Team R-Squadron, are cruising the car shows andshowing no sign of slowing down.

Chen began collaborating with BFCA inJanuary 2003 and the partnership hascontinued to grow with his participation incar shows across Canada and the UnitedStates. Most recently, Team R-Squadronappeared at the Specialty EquipmentManufacturers Association (SEMA)International Auto Salon (IAS) show inPhiladelphia.

Team R-Squadron, based in Toronto, is a

group of show qualityvehicles, which appearand compete ataftermarket events. Allcars in the group areequipped withBridgestone®-brand orFuzion®-brand highperformance tires.

R-Squadron cars haveappeared at the SEMAshows, and also haveappeared at the NumberOne Parts, Inc. (NOPI)Nationals and at regional shows across theUnited States and Canada.

Enthusiast

Derek Chen with Team R-Squadron (r) is interviewed by Street Vision GarageTV at the 2006 SEMA IAS show inPhiladelphia.

Team R-Squadron will be appearing at these upcoming events:

NOPI Nationals Atlanta, Ga. Sept. 16-17Sport Compact Performance Montreal, Canada Oct. 13-15Import Fest Toronto, Canada Oct. 20-21


9Summer2006 inRoads

At the new Academy Tire store inLebanon, Tenn., James Baddley (front),president of Academy Tire, stands readyto accommodate and surpassexpectations of new and existing customers.

Grand Openings!Congratulations totwo new dealer

locations, one in Alpine, Texas, andone in Lebanon, Tenn. We areproud to add you to our family.Both locations recently hadsuccessful grand openings.

At the TireStarz dealer, Oasis Tire,in Alpine, Texas, the grand openingkicked off with a two-day customerappreciation event as well as carshow and an appearance by theBIGFOOT® Monster Truck®. Overhalf the city — including the TexasLutheran University girls softball

team, motorcycle clubsand tourists — showed upto partake in thecelebration and see allthat the new location has to offer.

“We are so proud of our newstore,” commented Morton andWilma Smith, owners of Oasis Tire.“The event was a great success andgathered people from miles away.We are excited to continue superiorservice to existing and newcustomers.”

The Bridgestone Firestone Affiliate Dealer,Academy Tire, in Lebanon, Tenn., had asuccessful grand opening, selling more than325 tires and developing new customers

during their opening day. The event was filledwith fun activities for the kids, and local civicleaders came to celebrate with a ribboncutting ceremony. James Baddley, presidentof Academy Tire, really understands what ittakes to create a good location for a smallercommunity, and there were lots of newrelationships initiated at the event.

“Our new location is top-notch and reallyimpressive,” said Baddley. “Our updated lookand facility will enable us to provide a morecomfortable and high-quality experience forour customers.”

Dealers

Oasis Tire's store opening was a big event, pulling in people fromall over the community. Members of the Texas Lutheran Universitygirls softball team even stopped by on their way to a game to joinin the fun.

Four Audi Models Sport Bridgestone Tires as OEThe Bridgestone®-brand hasteamed with Audi to supply

its stunning, dynamic vehicles withBridgestone's innovative tires. Bridgestone-branded tires are now original equipment onthe following four Audi models listed below:

Features of Bridgestone-brand fitted tires:• POTENZA™ RE050 - Potenza RE050 has a

non-directional, asymmetrical treadpattern. Wet-weather handling isoptimized in this tire and the outer treadis designed to optimize dry-surfacehandling.

• TURANZA™ ER300 - The shock-absorbingcarcass construction and outstandingstraight-line stability at higher speedsprovide superior driving comfort. Theinside area of the tread pattern is speciallydesigned to enhance wet grip.

• DUELER™ HP SPORT - A tread patternbased on the Potenza RE050 tire andcompounds to ensure enhanced handlingon all types of surfaces provide a superiorcombination of dry- and wet-weather on-road performance.

OE

Model Tire Pattern Tire Size Model MarketsAudi A6 Potenza 225/50R17 98Y XL Japan, Americas, EuropeAudi A6 Avant RE050 245/45R17 99Y XL

Turanza 225/55R16 99Y XLER300

Audi A4 Potenza 235/45R17 094Y Japan, Americas, EuropeRE050Turanza 205/55R16 91WER300

Audi Q7 Dueler 255/55R18 109Y XL Japan, Americas, EuropeH/P Sport 265/50R19 110Y XL *Date TBD for Japan

275/45R20 110Y XL



Where’s Mario...?Where’sMario

…in Portagge,, Ind. celebrating Portage Tire & AutoService’s 25th anniversary. Mario Andretti presentedHelen Chaibai, the wife of the dealership's founder,with a plaque celebrating the anniversary. Picturedare (l-r) Jeff Chaibai and Ron Chaibai, currentowners and sons of the founder; Helen Chaibai;Mario Andretti; Bill Pransky, North Region generalmanager; Mark Polke, North Region marketingmanager; and Wayne Wolter, senior area salesmanager.

…in Austin, Texas to launch the SafetyScholars program while talking to theTexas Tire Dealers Association. Al Speyer(l), executive director of motorsports forBFNT, participated in a Q&A sessionwith Andretti to the delight ofconference participants.

Bridgestone Firestone Facility Receives State'sHighest Awards for Safety and Pollution PreventionBridgestone Firestone North

American Tire's Warren County plant wasrecognized by the Department of Labor formaintaining its STAR status in the TennesseeOccupational Safety & Health Administration(TOSHA) Voluntary Protection Program(VPP). STAR stands for Safety ThroughAccountability and Recognition. The plantalso achieved the top Performer level in theEnvironment and ConservationDepartment's Tennessee PollutionPrevention Partnership (TP3) environmentalleadership program.

Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen andBridgestone Americas Chairman and CEOMark Emkes made a trip to the plant tocongratulate the teammates on their tworecent awards. Gov. Bredesen commented,“This focus on protection and stewardship isa hallmark of the company's dedication toquality, and we are certainly fortunate tohave corporate citizens of this caliber inTennessee.”

Labor Commissioner James Neeley andEnvironment and ConservationCommissioner Jim Fyke were also on handfor the presentation of awards to the WarrenCounty plant by both Tennesseedepartments.

VPP STAR site status is awarded to whatTOSHA considers the “best of the best” inthe area of safety and health management.Warren County is one of only two tire plantsin the United States to have achieved VPPSTAR status, with the other being BFNT'sAiken County, S.C., facility.

To achieve Performer status, TP3 programparticipants are required to develop andcomplete a five-project plan to help preventpollution of air, land and water, whilereducing waste and conserving naturalresources. The award, the highest honorwithin the program, moves BFNT's WarrenCounty plant into the ranks of only fourother businesses in the state of Tennesseeto achieve Performer status.

News

…in Danville, Ky. meeting with community leaders.Danville Mayor John Bowling (l) presented Andretti (r)with a key to the city and a plaque making Andrettian honorary citizen of Danville.

...in Fresno, Calif. celebrating the 30th anniversary ofGoodguys Tire & Auto Repair. The celebrationcommenced with dealers meeting with communityleaders, including Clovis Mayor Nathan Magsig. At thenewest location in Clovis, Mario Andretti (l) and JohnGamauf, president of Bridgestone Firestone ConsumerReplacement Tire, presented Pete Shubin (r), owner ofGoodguys Tire & Auto Repair, with a plaquecommemorating the company's 30 successful years.


11Summer2006 inRoads

Bridgestone Firestone Plant in Wilson, N.C., Makes EPA “Honor Roll”With the Wilson plant's

addition, Bridgestone Firestone NorthAmerican Tire, LLC is now the first tirecompany to have all U.S. plants part of theEnvironmental Protection Agency’s (EPA)National Environmental Performance Track(NEPT) program. All seven of the company'sU.S. tire plants share in this recognition foroutstanding environmentalperformance.

“We were the first tirecompany accepted intothe program, and nowwe're the first company tohave all of our American-made tires producedin NEPT plants,” said Greer Tidwell, director ofenvironmental management for BFNT. “Luckmight bring a seven to a slot machine or adice game, but it was hard work andcommitment to environmental excellencethat brought all seven of our U.S. tire plantsinto this elite program. It makes our entirefamily proud to see the Wilson facility receivethis recognition and complete the circle.”

The EPA created the voluntary NEPTprogram to reward and recognizecompanies that show a commitment toenvironmental performance that goes aboveand beyond current requirements and thathave a proven track record of improvingenvironmental performance over time.

In order to qualify for the NEPT program,the Wilson facilityfulfilled a number ofrequirements, including:a good record ofcompliance withenvironmental

regulations; a public commitment to specificenvironmental performance goals; annualpublic reporting on progress toward thegoals; and an integrated system forcontinuing to improve compliance andenvironmental performance. The facility'sestablished goals for the next three yearsinclude improving several manufacturingprocesses to increase energy efficiency andreduce waste generation.

Environment

HappyCustomersMake Loyal

Customers“I purchased a set of

Bridgestone tires for my 2000Dodge Caravan. They performedbetter than the Michelins thatwere original equipment.”

Jason Chin - Wolcott, Conn.;a Bridgestone Firestone customer

“I have purchased three setsof tires this year for 3 of mycars. I am very happy with theproduct and the price wasfantastic.”

Richard Hamilton - Cary,N.C.; a Bridgestone Firestonecustomer

“Great Tires. I am on the roada lot with my business, andwith three kids in sports so Ineed tires that will last and thatare safe.”

Larry Morris - North LittleRock, Ark; a BridgestoneFirestone customer

Consumer

One Big Lap Contributes to Millions of ChildrenRacing for the Childrenentered the 2006 Tire RackCannonball “One Lap ofAmerica” to raise money fortheir charity. AZ Power andSound joined Racing for theChildren to enter its non-factory backed 2004 PontiacGTO into the “One Lap ofAmerica” with BridgestoneFirestone North AmericanTire, LLC as the title sponsor.

“One Lap of America” is an annual eventcreated by Brock Yates of Car and DriverMagazine. Participants of the event mustdrive their street legal vehicles from track totrack where they compete in time trialcompetitions, drag races, and, to keepthings interesting, wet and dry skid padevents. This year's “One Lap of America”covered 4,000 miles, stopping in ninedifferent states and traveling through 18states.

Racing for the Children was formed byEnrique Ramirez in 1999 to raise money and

awareness for the Save the Childrenorganization, which works to create real andlasting change in the lives of needy children.The organization is a nonprofit, nonpolitical,nonsectarian organization operating in morethan 35 nations, including the Unites States.

“We get a lot more satisfaction out of ourefforts knowing we are racing for such aworthy cause,” said Ramirez, “After all, thechildren are our future.”

The AZ Power and Sound Pontiac GTOwas fitted with new Bridgestone® Potenza™RE-01R™ ultra-high performance tires insizes 235/40R18 and 265/35R18 for the“One Lap of America” competition.

News

Pictured here with the Racing for theChildren car are (l-r) Enrique Ramirez,driver and founder of Racing for theChildren; Rodd Stotsenburg, ultra-highperformance marketing & educationsupport manager for BFNT; and Racingfor the Children crew members AlSickinger and Chip Habitz.

The Racing for the Children car showed its winningstripes and won 2nd place in its class.


The Drive to Learn…Rain or ShineParticipants and staff didn't letbad weather deter them from

the Drive & Learn at the California Speedwayin Los Angeles, Calif. With inches of rainfall,dark clouds looming and swirling winds,

attendees at the Drive & Learnsession still managed to smileat the weather and even hadrecord-breaking attendance:188 participants at the twoday event.

A huge “thank you” goesout to the Drive & Learn staffand participants for makingthis event a success despitethe storm. Drive & Learnprograms provide a valuableeducation and first-handproduct knowledge to program participants.The events are terrific demonstrations of thededication the dealers and members of theauto industry have to their customers. Be sureto attend an event in your area.

Drive &Learn


Bridgestone Firestone535 Marriott DriveNashville, TN 37214

Summer 2006

inRoads is a publication producedby the North American ConsumerTire and North American Truck & BusTire Groups of Bridgestone FirestoneNorth American Tire, LLC for thebenefit of our customers.

We welcome and encourage comments about inRoadsor Bridgestone Firestone and the industry in general. Comments,suggestions and requests forinformation should be sent to:

Susan SizemorePublic AffairsBridgestone Americas Holding, Inc.535 Marriott Dr.Nashville, TN [email protected](615) 937-1417

© 2006 Bridgestone Firestone

Determined to teach the Drive & Learnmessage, the staff of Drive & Learntriumphs over the weather and even hasfun at each event.

Heavy rain, strong winds and dark clouds didn't keepthe Drive & Learn in Los Angeles, Calif. from havingrecord-breaking attendance.


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