Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC Winter

Transcription

1 inroads Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC Winter Where s Mario Dealer Spotlight Consumer page... 6 Photo Gallery page...2 Motorsport page...4, 12 page...5 page...6 Truck & Bus page...5 BFOR page...7, 8 In the News Canada AG CFNA OE Education page...7 page...7 page...8 page...11 page...11 page...11 Bridgestone Winter Driving School Marks 25 Years Feature The Bridgestone Winter Driving School marks a significant milestone in 2008 as it celebrates 25 years as the only winter driving school of its kind in the United States. We offer a unique hands-on learning experience that s aimed at providing drivers with the skills and confidence they need to safely handle a vehicle in the most treacherous winter driving conditions, said Mark Cox, Director of the Bridgestone Winter Driving School. Cox and his team of professional driving instructors teach safe driving techniques on snow and ice-covered tracks in real winter conditions. Bridgestone Blizzak tires (the WS60 and Winter Dueler) are fitted on the front-, rear-, and all-wheel drive Toyota vehicles which are used at the school s driving facility. We re very picky about our tires and vehicles. Bridgestone-brand Blizzak winter tires are the only tires we use at our school. We re very proud of our partnership with Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire which shares our commitment to safety education, Cox added. Past participants of the school include race car drivers, members of top federal agencies and automotive manufacturers who have found great value in the level of training and driving expertise gained from their experience on the Bridgestone Winter Driving School s slick tracks. The most I have learned about driving, period, I learned at the Bridgestone Winter Driving School, said Bob Kocher, an automotive journalist for more than 24 years. Driving on snow and ice is so much like driving in wet conditions anywhere. The valuable lessons learned on understeer, oversteer and vehicle dynamics would be hard to find elsewhere. The Bridgestone Winter Driving School s state-of-the-art facility includes three iceand snow-covered tracks each uniquely designed to teach specific techniques for improved car control and enhanced driving abilities in any weather condition. Coated daily with water to create extremely slippery conditions, the driving tracks feature banked and off-cambered corners and numerous elevation changes. Courses at the Bridgestone Winter Driving School include instructional, safety and performance programs. Instructional programs are taught by professional driving instructors with years of experience. Exercises are based on the experience of each participant. Classroom instruction and a video demonstration complement the driving exercises at the school. Safety programs are intended for the everyday driver and include an introductory half- or full-day course focused on controlled driving and accident avoidance. continued on page 3 The Daily Routine: The morning after a snowfall: Track preparation begins at 4 a.m. Two road graders and a front-end loader remove snow around the facility. Track grooming takes between two and four hours depending on overnight snowfall. Track repairs are made throughout the day as needed and as dictated by weather conditions.

2 2 inroads Winter Feature Where s Mario Bridgestone Brand is Title Sponsor of Super Bowls XLII and XLIII Halftime Shows The National Football League (NFL) and Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT) recently announced an agreement making the Bridgestone brand the title sponsor of the Super Bowl XLII and XLIII Bridgestone Super Bowl Halftime Show. The Bridgestone brand will also air two new 30-second commercials during Super Bowl XLII and will serve as Official Tire Sponsor of Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLIII. The marquee sponsorships at the upcoming Super Bowls will enhance the Bridgestone brand s relationship with the NFL, which also includes Official Tire of the NFL designation and title sponsorship of the 2007 Bridgestone International Series game. This is an unprecedented opportunity to showcase the Bridgestone brand to the world, said John Gamauf, President of Consumer Tire Replacement Sales, BFNT. We re thrilled to partner with the NFL brand in presenting one of the most high-profile Where s Mario? and entertaining programs in all of sports: The Bridgestone Super Bowl Halftime Show. The Bridgestone brand will also have a strong presence at the NFL Experience, the interactive theme park in Arizona during Super Bowl week, and will serve as the official tire sponsor of the Pro Bowl, which is played the week after the Super Bowl in Hawaii. Entertainment for the Bridgestone Super Bowl XLII Halftime Show will be legendary Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Super Bowl XLII, to be held Feb. 3, 2008, at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., will be televised by FOX. Watched by 140 million viewers in the United States last year, the Super Bowl is annually the nation s highestrated TV program and the most-watched single-day sporting event. Tampa, Fla., will host Super Bowl XLIII and that game s Bridgestone Super Bowl Halftime Show in The team at Community Tire and Automotive Service Specialists celebrated receiving the Better Business Bureau 2007 Business Ethics Finalist Award and the Tire Review 2007 Top Shop Finalist Award. Pictured (l-r) are Patricia Rose Fleischmann; Tom Helms, owner of A-Z Appraisals and a guest at the event; Mario Andretti; and Howard Fleischmann, owner of Community Tire and Automotive Service Specialists. Greetings! As editor of inroads, I am pleased to provide you with the news of Bridgestone Americas, the dealer community and the industry. We take great pride in providing you with stories and news you can use. In our quest to continually improve communication with you, we ask that you visit to complete a brief survey about this newsletter. To those of you who have already completed the inroads survey thank you! Beginning in 2008, you will notice a few changes to inroads. The column you have come to know as Executive Edge will be renamed Contact Patch. We thought it was important to let you hear from team members throughout the organization as well as top level executives within Bridgestone Americas. Many of these changes are the result of your suggestions, so please keep them coming! Others, such as the newly branded Contact Patch, are simply an evolution. On behalf of the entire Bridgestone Americas team, we wish you health, happiness and success in If there is anything we can do to help you, please contact any member of the Bridgestone Americas team. Warm regards, Susan W. Sizemore Editor s Note

3 Winter inroads 3 Toyotas and Bridgestone Blizzak tires are featured at the Bridgestone Winter Driving School. continued from page 1 New safety programs include light duty truck training, pulling a trailer on ice and snow, as well as how to trailer specialty loads. Performance courses offer the highest level of driver training available by incorporating world rally racing techniques. Corporate, custom, single- and multi-day courses fit the needs of any group. A participant s cornering, acceleration and braking skills are developed to maximize balance and control in the most challenging conditions. These courses are designed for driving enthusiasts, law enforcement groups, military specialists, stunt drivers, automotive test engineers and aspiring and existing professional racers. Located in Steamboat Springs, Colo., The Bridgestone Winter Driving School operates seven days a week from mid-december through early March. For information on the Bridgestone Winter Driving School, its programs and instructional DVD, visit or call (800) WHY-SKID. Fun Facts: o Approximately 3,000 tires have been used in 25 years of operation. o Twenty-four vehicles are used annually. o Three tracks cover 60-acres of farmland. o Twenty-two staff members support the school s day-to-day operation. o A yurt is used for trackside catering and presentations. o Each season 250,000 gallons of water are used to build the tracks. o Participants have included people from all 50 states and 11 countries, as well as celebrities and race car drivers. Approximately 3,000 students attend the school annually. Businesses that have used the school include Dow Chemical, DuPont, Exxon, Shell, Merck, Visteon, FBI, U.S. Secret Service, U. S. Forest Service, Colorado State Patrol and numerous automotive companies. o A long list of media outlets have attended the school and featured Bridgestone Winter Driving School Tips, including the TODAY show, CNN, O Magazine, Superstreet and AutoWeek. Winter Tires: Fact or Fiction Help your customers learn fact from fiction about winter tires. Fact: Customers should install four winter tires, not just two. Mixing two snow tires with two all-season tires on a vehicle can make it more likely to fishtail or spin out of control. Fact: Winter tires are not hard on the road. Today s winter tires are made of advanced rubber compounds with specially designed treads and softer compounds to offer enhanced grip in the snow and on ice. Fact: Winter tires are useful even if customers live in a cold-weather area without much snow. Four-wheel drive and an anti-lock braking system (ABS) are no substitute for the additional grip and excellent traction a good winter tire can provide. Fact: Winter tires should not be used year round as they are made of a soft compound. To maximize the life of winter tires, they should be mounted just before the first snowfall and removed at the end of the snowy season. Fact: Winter tires make a difference in driving performance. Bridgestone Blizzak tires provide enhanced resistance to hydroplaning and greater driving and braking force on ice- and snow-covered surfaces.

4 4 inroads Winter Feature New North American Manufacturing Facility First Outside Japan with Breakthrough BIRD Technology A new tire manufacturing facility in Monterrey, Mexico, is the first plant outside of Japan to use Bridgestone Corporation s (BSJ) revolutionary new BIRD tire production system. Bridgestone Neumáticos de Monterrey, S.A. de C.V. (BSMR), a sister company to Bridgestone Firestone de México, S.A. de C.V. and Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT) officially opened the plant in November. BIRD, or Bridgestone Innovative and Rational Development, is the world s first production system for tires that completely automates all stages of tire manufacturing, from the initial processing of materials to final inspection of the finished product. The BIRD system allows great flexibility and responsiveness to customer needs because of its capacity to make several different types and sizes of tires simultaneously. We at Bridgestone Americas are very proud of this new venture, said Mark A. Emkes, Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. (BSAH) and BFNT Chairman and CEO. Opening this plant in Monterrey, an ideal location to serve our customers, is an important component of the Bridgestone Group s global sourcing strategy to meet the needs of our customers now and in the future. The 47th tire plant of the global Bridgestone Group, the Monterrey facility is the third to be built in Mexico; the other two are located in Mexico City and Cuernavaca. The BSMR plant will primarily serve the North American tire market, producing high performance, ultra high performance, and large rim diameter passenger and light truck tires. With the opening of the Monterrey plant, the Bridgestone Group maintains its commitment to building a global sourcing network that can respond quickly and flexibly to the continuing growth in world demand for automotive tires. The Bridgestone Group is currently constructing three additional plants, one each in Hungary, Poland and Japan. This marks a special day for the Bridgestone family of companies, said BSMR President Yuichi Nakada. Our efforts in Monterrey represent our growing production capacity and further demonstrate our commitment to fulfilling the needs of our customers worldwide. Castroneves Dances Away with Stars Trophy Motorsport Helio Castroneves Baby Borg trophies will have good company in the trophy case of his Coral Gables, Fla., home with the addition of the Dancing with the Stars mirror ball championship trophy. The two-time Indianapolis 500 champion and his professional dance partner Julianne Hough prevailed in the dance-off against Spice Girl Melanie Brown and her pro partner to determine the Dancing with the Stars winner on Nov. 27. Castroneves and Hough received the highest number of votes from the 21 million-plus viewers of the ABC television show to land in Victory Circle. In the finale, voting totals from the Nov. 26 competition were combined with the judge s total score from both nights to determine the winner. Honestly, that feeling when they called our name was totally different than winning a race, said Castroneves a few minutes after winning the contest. Obviously, Indianapolis is my biggest win, but this is great. (The dancing trophy) will go right between (the Baby Borg trophies) because this has mirrors and can reflect them. Castroneves acknowledges he didn t fathom what the Dancing with the Stars experience entailed when he first entered the rehearsal hall at the close of the 2007 IndyCar Series season. After 12 weeks of blistered feet and a bloodied knee, an occasional bruised ego and even Hough competing in the championship round with bronchitis, Castroneves continued to smile and strive to improve. It s been an amazing experience, he said. I would do it all over again in a second. And he ll get a chance to do just that. Castroneves and Hough will be twostepping for about a week s worth of dates as part of the 37-city Dancing with the Stars tour, which begins in early Specific dates are to be determined. Executives from BSJ, BSAH and BSMR are joined by Mexican officials for the ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the grand opening of the Monterrey Plant. Helio Castroneves and Julianne Hough celebrate their win on ABC's Dancing with the Stars.

5 Winter inroads 5 Dealer Spotlight Let us hear from you. If you would like to highlight a dealer or your store(s) for a Dealer Spotlight in a future issue of inroads, please contact Susan Sizemore at (615) Michele and Kevin Davis of Cowser Tire and Service hold the scissors to officially open their new store. They are joined by (l-r) John Porhamer, Chris Munizza and Becky Knox with the Ft. Worth Chamber of Commerce. In the background are Don Lawrence with Gray s Wholesale Tire Distributors, Inc., employees of Cowser Tire and Service, and Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC executives. Bridgestone tires are now original equipment on Manac semi-trailers. Cowser Tire and Service Holds Grand Slam Grand Opening Anytime you host a special event or grand opening you want to hit a home run. So, you work very hard to spread the word to attract a crowd. Still, until the event happens you re always worried: will anyone show up? All the planning and hard work paid off for Kevin Davis, owner of Cowser Tire and Service in Fort Worth, Texas. More than 2,000 people attended his two-day grand opening event in November. For Davis and his business, it was a grand slam. The local crowd enjoyed food, giveaways and the famous BIGFOOT Monster Truck. Gray s Tire, the distributor to Cowser Tire, joined representatives from Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT) to staff a booth at the event. Steve Gray, Owner of Gray s Wholesale Tire Distributors, Inc.; Don Lawrence, Gray s Sales Manager; Gary Garrett, BFNT Commercial District Manager; and Steve Fisher, BFNT Sr. Commercial Territory Manager took active roles in the activities. Throughout the event, sales were strong. In fact, Gray and Lawrence had to call the warehouse to bring additional retail and commercial tires to the store. Garrett and Fisher assisted with answering technical questions and writing orders. This was a true win-win-win event where Truck & Bus the distributor along with BFNT teammates made this one of the best dealer events in recent memory, said Robert Delvo, Sr. Area Sales Manager, BFNT. As a TireStarz dealer through Gray s Wholesale in Ft. Worth, Cowser Tire offers a full range of services and tires to meet the needs of a diverse customer base: consumer, commercial, farm, OTR, industrial, forklift/foam fill and road service. Davis and his five counter salesmen together specialize in each of those services with a combined 164 years of experience. The most junior member of the sales team has 21 years in the industry. We re one of very few dealers in our area who provide all these services, and now we have a great facility to be a real one-stop shop, said Davis. I remember when my goal was to have $40,000 in sales each month. Now we re selling nearly that each day. Cowser Tire and Service doesn t place ads or have marketing campaigns. Instead, Davis has adopted the philosophy that people buy from people. Ninety percent of Kevin s success is that he treats customers as friends, said Delvo, who has been Davis tire representative for more than 20 years. He has plenty of competition all around him but people just love buying tires from him. Nobody can treat a customer like he does and that makes the difference. Canadian Trailer Manufacturer Names Bridgestone Tires as Standard Equipment Bridgestone-brand commercial tires are now standard original equipment on Manac semitrailers, which are easily recognized due to their signature flying moose logo. One of the largest manufacturers of custom-built and specialty semi-trailers in North America, Manac has manufactured semi-trailers since 1966 at its plant in St. Georges, Quebec, and since 2000 at its plant in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. Manac also operates two plants in Missouri under the CPS trailer brand one in Oran and another facility in Kennett. Specializing in custom-made semitrailers, the company also designs and builds a wide range of vans, flatbeds, dry vans, low beds, end dump and bottom dump trailers, grain hoppers and forestry semi-trailers. Manac semi-trailer customers have an extensive list of Bridgestone-brand trailer tires to choose starting with the R195F for ultra-economical on-highway applications, the R196 for high-scrub and multi-axle trailers, the R250F for severe-scrub applications and the Greatec trailer wide single radial in the 445/50R22.5 size. For information on original equipment suppliers and Bridgestone-brand trailer tires, contact your Bridgestone tire sales representative.

6 6 inroads Winter Photo Gallery Bridgestone Firestone Canada Inc. (BFCA) help Niagara Battery & Tire Limited in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, celebrate its 50th anniversary by joining forces to host a charity barbeque. Ticket sales raised $1,700 (CAD) for the Women s Place of South Niagara Inc. which will use the money for its Nova House, a shelter for abused women and children. Women in the Chicago, Ill., area were given vehicles at a recent event thanks to businesses including Duxler Tire of Libertyville, Ill. The vehicles were donated by customers of area automotive dealers, including Duxler Tire which provided Bridgestone- and Firestone-brand tires as needed on the used vehicles. This event marked the second consecutive year Duxler Tire took part in this worthwhile initiative to assist victims of domestic violence. Congratulations for such heartfelt community outreach! BFNT Finds Success with New Duravis Tire Line Consumer The toughest duty requires durable and reliable tires to get the job done. Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT) has the answer with the Bridgestone Duravis heavy-duty light truck and commercial tire line. The Bridgestone Duravis tire line is focused on delivering long mileage, durability and reliable performance for fleets as well as personal and commercial light truck users. Duravis stands for durability, endurance and strength, reflecting the capabilities of this tire: it s rugged enough for the toughest jobs, said John Gamauf, President of Consumer Tire Replacement Sales, BFNT. Drawing upon the strength of existing Bridgestone commercial tire offerings, the Duravis line includes two tires for heavy-duty commercial highway use. It features enhanced technologies including a square footprint, sidewall protector, stone rejecter technology and heavy-duty construction to protect it in the most challenging environments. The Bridgestone Duravis is a comprehensive tire line for heavyduty light trucks. The Duravis accommodates a full range of vehicle fitments and uses in steer and drive positions. The Duravis R500 HD tire is specifically designed to address the needs of today s light truck and commercial drivers by delivering above-average mileage with high durability and enhanced design features. The R500 HD is a full-highway-depth tire featuring the company s exclusive UNI-T technology for excellent wet and dry handling for trucks driven on-highway. Its high durability construction also provides customers with the endurance that they have come to expect from Bridgestone tires. Available in six light truck sizes, this R-rated tire is available in 16- to 17-inch Load Range E sizes for a variety of light truck and commercial applications. The Duravis R250 tire is available for the light truck market. Designed with allsteel casings to foster endurance, long mileage and retreadability, the R250 is available in five sizes. This Q-rated tire allows users with higher torque vehicles to sustain increased speeds. Featuring an all-steel casing and a sidewall protector to reduce down-time from the unpredictable forces of nature, the Duravis R250 is available in 16-inch Load Range E sizes for a variety of light truck and commercial applications.

7 Winter inroads 7 New Tire Options for Loader Backhoe Owners BFOR Loader backhoe owners who want to use radial tires on their equipment s front axles without the expense of buying new rims now have two options available from the Firestone DuraForce line of construction tires. These new sizes are specifically designed for the front axles of loader backhoes, according to David Ashby, Product Development Manager, Off Road Products Group, a division of Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC. The two new tires are: 320/80R18 DuraForce AT-R (approved rim widths 9.00 inches, inches) 340/80R18 DuraForce AT-R (approved rim widths inches, inches) Radial tires often increase traction significantly by 6 to 18 percent because their larger footprint reduces wheel slip, Ashby said. Because of the better traction, fuel efficiency improves by similar margins compared with that of bias tires. Other radial tire benefits include: lowered costs per hour since shorter cycle times may increase productivity; increased tire life of up to 33 percent extended wear. This generates more working hours, less down-time, lower service costs and fewer tire replacements; and reduced road vibration because the DuraForce AT-R features a harmonically noise-treated design. This design helps reduce cab noise and road vibration and improves operational comfort. In the News Look at what others are saying about Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC and its experts! AutoWeek In a feature about winter driving, AutoWeek taps into the expertise of Mark Cox, Director of the Bridgestone Winter Driving School, to help drivers get ready for the snowy and icy season. Cox provided five tips to help readers control their vehicles during wintry conditions. (Nov. 13, 2007) J Rations Rob Reaser writes about a Jeep owner who turned his late 1990s Cherokee into a dual-purpose rig. For the project, J Rations helped the vehicle owner choose a set of Firestone Destination M/T tires stating, The Destination M/T s aggressive tread pattern will allow us to wheel in a variety of terrain, while the size and stance will be manageable both in terms of driveability and fuel economy on the hardtop. (Standard Issue 9) Pacific Daily News Vlad Navasca writes about Nissan s new 2008 NISMO Z, unveiled in Guam in early November. The author states that the gunmetal-gray wheels are wrapped with Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tires, which provide traction and responsiveness perfect for dry and wet roads or a day of tearing it up at an autocross event. (Nov. 20, 2007) The Motley Fool In John Rosevear s article, Are You Ready for Winter Driving?, he provides insights into driving during the blustery winter months. Among his tips, he writes that winter tires are a must and points to the Bridgestone brand as an option. (Nov. 14, 2007) Canada Bridgestone Blizzak, The Official Tire Of Winter, Sponsors Canadian Hockey League Teams Agreement with the CHL covers the season Bridgestone Firestone Canada Inc. (BFCA) and the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) announced in November a one-year integrated marketing partnership focusing on the Blizzak winter tire brand. The partnership includes the teams in the Quebec, Western and Ontario Hockey Leagues. Under the agreement, the Blizzak logo will be on rink boards, various program ads and television spots during games in 45 markets across Canada.

8 8 inroads Winter Media Participate in OTR Tire Boot Camp BFOR Journalists got an in-depth look at what it takes to build and maintain off road tires during the Off The Road (OTR) Tire Boot Camp in October at the Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT) facility in Bloomington, Ill. It marked the first time journalists were invited to the camp, which included detailed training seminars and workshops. In the past, Bridgestone Firestone Off Road Tire Company (BFOR), a division of BFNT, only offered the Boot Camp to production, maintenance and management personnel in the construction, mining and quarrying industries. Thirteen reporters were educated on products they often write about in their respective publications. The journalists are now more knowledgeable about the products dealers sell and better understand how BFOR is educating its customers to extend the life of large off the road tires. The rise in the demand for these products has greatly increased the awareness of the OTR market among the media as well as our customers, said Jack Dutcher, National Manager, OTR Training and Development, BFOR. These seminars were designed to educate participants about the many ways tires can improve the overall production of a business while operating at the lowest possible cost per hour. Dutcher, who started the workshops many years ago, covers topics such as tire construction, proper tire maintenance, improving ton mileage per hour and the importance of tire recordkeeping. He ends each seminar by stressing the use of an accurate system to record tire performance so that equipment doesn t sit idle while waiting for replacement tires. These topics are important to end users because they can t just throw away tires like they did three or four years ago due to today s inventory shortage, Dutcher said. We are teaching our customers to better manage their tires. The increased demand for OTR tires has also made us better stewards of the products and proper tire maintenance. Firestone Agriculture Releases New TV Commercial AG American farmers have turned to Firestone farm tires for more than 75 years. A leader in the field, Firestone Agricultural Tire (FSAG) is now showing its quality products in a new cable television advertising campaign. FSAG, an operating unit of Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT), released a new commercial that showcases FSAG s commitment to the American farmer. The commercial debuted in November during Successful Farming Machinery Show, a new program on RFD-TV, a 24- hour cable TV network. The channel is dedicated to serving the needs and interests of rural America and agriculture. Media guests at the Tire Boot Camp checked out the world's largest tire. The famous 70/70-57 (84 ply) Super Rock Grip Deep Tread Loader Dozer tire weighs in at a healthy14,380 lbs. Our company has a history of more than 75 years of innovation, service and quality products, said Ken Allen, Vice President, Firestone Agricultural Tire Company, which includes FSAG. That history has helped solidify Firestone farm tires reputation as the leader in the field.

9 Winter inroads 9 Spoiler Alert Answers to Champ Car Quiz from Back Page: 1) Will Power; 2) Sebastien Bourdais; 3) Paul Tracy; 4) Robert Doornbos; 5) Justin Wilson Plan Ahead for the Perfect Store Event Feature As many of you know, store events can increase traffic to your store, build sales and promote your business within your community. Resources from Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT) are available to help your event be a success, whether it s a grand opening, holiday celebration, celebrity appearance or a community-wide sales promotion. A variety of BFNT marketing tools are available, including the B.E.S.T. (Brand Enhancement Show Trailer) trailers featuring display cars, such as a Toyota Formula 1 and Firehawk C6 Corvette. Also available are video game-like racecar simulators, the Firestonebranded BIGFOOT Monster Truck and the enthusiastic Firehawk mascot. Guests will remember your store as a lively place with employees who value their customers. Three B.E.S.T. trailers travel throughout the year in three regions: B.E.S.T. I: East (Southeast/Mid- Atlantic/Northeast) B.E.S.T. II: Central (South Central/ Midwest/North Central) B.E.S.T. III: West (Southwest/Northwest) The best piece of advice we have for dealers is to get your event included on the master schedule with Bridgestone Firestone as soon as possible. The B.E.S.T. trailers travel along pre-planned routes to ensure they accommodate as many store events as possible, explains Mark Johnson, Manager of Product Marketing, BFNT. Timing is critical. Below are tips for hosting a successful store event. Call your Bridgestone Firestone sales manager Your area sales manager can assist you with event marketing material, such as banners, counter displays, product literature, show cars and other items. Plan ahead Set the event date as soon as possible to take advantage of pre-event promotions, such as mailers and ads. Planning ahead lets you get on the schedule early for the B.E.S.T. trailers and other Bridgestone Firestone resources. Take costs into account Be sure to plan for the cost of scheduling a B.E.S.T. trailer into your overall event budget. Fees range from $250 to $2500. Promote, promote, promote Advertise with local newspapers and radio stations to increase awareness of the event. Contact the station early for on-air time. BFNT provides a basic radio script from which dealers may pull information quickly. It s also important to issue press releases to the local media informing them of the event. Place signs in your checkout lines to remind customers of the big day. Target customers your customers early and often to remind them of the store s scheduled event. Hosting a pre-event contest, with the winner to be announced at the event, giving away a set of tires and providing lunch are all great ways to catch the interest of attendees. Picture perfect Take photos of the event to use in the future: send a captioned photo to the local newspapers for coverage, include photos in customer correspondence or hang pictures in the store lobby to add a local touch. Incorporate education Host a safety seminar on checking for proper tire pressure and tread depth. Provide customers with useful, educational tips they can use after they leave your store. To book a display trailer please call Trisha Insani at (615)

10 10 inroads Winter Feature Bridgestone Firestone Transports Truckloads of Hay to Help Drought-Stricken Local Farmers Nothing represents the holiday spirit more than neighbors helping neighbors. This holiday season, Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT) is helping its neighbors through Project Hayride, a program the company initiated, to help drought stricken farmers. After a drought caused Warren County, Tenn., farmers to lose two-thirds of their hay production in 2007, the agricultural community was faced with two options: pay double for hay from elsewhere because of the added freight costs or sell their cattle. Project Hayride is providing a third option. Through the program, BFNT trucks returning from neighboring states are bringing back hay to local farmers. And in Ron Brooks, Warren County Plant Manager, BFNT, talks with the local media about why he organized Project Hayride to help farmers hit hard by the drought. the spirit of goodwill, the company is absorbing the cost of transporting the hay to the local farmers. By the end of January 2008, BFNT and its partners expect to provide Warren County farmers with 1.5 million pounds of needed hay. Seeing the farmers need, BFNT offered its complex system of trucks, trailers and drivers to bring hay back from Arkansas, Missouri and Kentucky. After the BFNT trucks deliver tires to distributors in these states, the vehicles return with freight loads of hay. Project Hayride is impacting farmers financially and mentally, said John Pelham, Warren County Executive. When people have had a really tough year, they need a spark someone to give them a boost. When others are willing to step up, like Bridgestone Firestone, it helps the entire community. Bridgestone Firestone has always been such a great corporate partner; they do so much more than build tires. The Warren Farmers Co-op, University of Tennessee Agriculture Extension Office, Warren County Economic Development Board, Warren County Cattlemen s Association and the Warren County Executive s office have also joined this effort. Together, BFNT and this powerful group have located out-of-state hay suppliers, negotiated prices and secured routes to ensure BFNT trucks can reach the farms where the hay is available. To date, at least 55 farmers have signed up for the program. Farmers are the backbone of the country they provide the food that feeds America, said Don Robbins, Warren Farmers Co-op Manager. We re blessed that Bridgestone Firestone is giving back to those who give to America. No matter the season, Bridgestone Firestone s Warren County plant is always giving to our community. Hay is unloaded from Bridgestone Firestone trucks at the Warren Farmers Co-Op. Bridgestone Firestone trucks will bring in an estimated 1.5 million pounds of hay to help local farmers. Local farmers Roy and Katherine Cornett have received more than 25 bales of hay from Project Hayride. The Cornetts raise cattle in Warren County, Tenn.

11 Winter inroads 11 CFNA New CFNA Video to Debut Credit First National Association (CFNA) will introduce a new training video in early 2008 to reinforce the potential power of its credit card. The Power of the Card will be available to all Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT) retailers. Its focus is to encourage retailers to use sales techniques to promote the card to their customers. The video is intended for use at sales meetings and employee training sessions. It clearly explains the card s benefits, teaches new ways to approach customers about obtaining a card and informs retailers about federal compliance policies. Featured in the video are Chuck Wait, owner of Chuck Wait Tire with locations in Mowrsytown, Ohio, and Middletown, Ohio; and Mark Rhodes, President of Plaza Tire Service in Charleston, Md. In the video, Wait and Rhodes share how they use CFNA s card to increase sales and profits in their stores. The CFNA card has been very positive for our company, said Rhodes. The card takes a no sale and turns it into a sale. It keeps the customer attached to us, it keeps them coming back and it keeps them from going to our competitors. Watch for more details on CFNA s The Power of the Card. OE Bridgestone Potenza Tires Standard on New Nissan GT-R Bridgestone Corporation will supply Potenza RE070R RFT Run-Flat tires (RFT) as standard equipment on the new Nissan GT-R, scheduled to make its U.S. debut in June A Bridgestone Blizzak winter RFT tire has also been developed to fit the Nissan GT-R for driving in snow and ice. The highly rigid structure of the Bridgestone Potenza RE070R RFT has been specifically tuned for the Nissan GT-R, and the tire s new tread design offers excellent handling in both wet and dry conditions. Combined, these features offer impressive performance that is ideal for the enthusiast wishing to drive on the race track. The new multi-performance super sports car was designed based on the idea of making the super sports car life available to BFNT Education Programs Aim for an A+ Education Knowing that education is key to success, Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT) is taking steps to ensure its award-winning dealer education programs are making the grade. Beginning in January 2008, a new overall education effort will be underway and dealers will start to see programs with enhanced communication tools and a consistent look and feel. We are keenly aware that dealers and their sales associates must be up to speed on trends and changes in the marketplace, said Phil Pasci, Vice President, North American Consumer Tire Marketing, BFNT. Our education programs have been very successful at helping dealers stay informed. We re now renewing our focus to make each program even more substantial. Leading the new effort is BFNT s new Director of Education, Paul Chizeck, who says dealers will see improvement in all BFNT education programs. Whether through instructor-led workshops, hands-on or internet-based training sessions, BFNT is working to ensure its customers have access to the most updated information. My goal is to implement useful programs that address automotive service, said Chizeck. Armed with the most cutting-edge research and information, BFNT is the resource for dealers to get everything they anyone, anywhere, at any time. The Bridgestone Run-Flat s proprietary technology allows a vehicle to drive up to 50 miles at 50 mph after a loss of air pressure. An additional benefit of Run-Flat tires is that they eliminate the need for a spare tire. need to make their businesses highly competitive. Prior to taking on this new role, Chizeck was responsible for BFNT s dealer retail marketing and education. Paul is the right person to be leading this effort because of his experience on the retail front, continued Pasci. He has the ability to integrate all of Bridgestone Firestone s education programs into one powerful package where dealers can easily get essential information. Popular BFNT education programs include: Drive & Learn, an award-winning program where dealers test products in behind-the-wheel evaluations; the Pro- Certification Driving Force program, offering the very latest information on the newest products and how to sell them; Ultra High Performance (UHP) training, which educates dealers and their sales teams on the highly competitive and rapidly expanding UHP tire market segment; as well as overall advertising and marketing training. It s a competitive marketplace for a lot of our independent retailers, and for many it s difficult to keep updated on the industry, said Chizeck. We want our retailers to be in business for many years, so we are striving to provide these resources in the most effective way possible.

12 12 inroads Winter Champ Car World Series Quiz Motorsport Now that the 2007 Champ Car World Series season is over, it s time to test your knowledge. See if you can identify the race-winning driver based on his quote about how his Bridgestone Potenza race tires took him to the top step of the podium. 1. Las Vegas, Nev.: It was a good race today, and I am really pleased for the team. We did our strategy and cruised along at the end. The Bridgestones were awesome my tires didn t really go off today, so I didn t have any problems. 2. Long Beach, Calif.: The Bridgestone tires held really, really well; they were super consistent from the beginning of the stint to the end. Alternates or standards [sets of tires], the car was really well balanced and I was very happy with everything. 3. Cleveland, Ohio: I had to push the Bridgestone tires hard at the end, but I did more laps than anybody that last stint and they [the tires] were completely worn out. I can t complain, though. When I needed to go quick in the third stint, I was able to run really quick lap times on the Bridgestones when everybody else pitted. I m just really happy. 4. Mont-Tremblant, Canada: The Bridgestone slick tires are very good in the wet conditions! It s very hard to drive like that. The build-up of temperatures in the Bridgestones is good enough that you can actually race in these circumstances, and on the wet tire, really, nothing to add. It s a great tire, it has a lot of grip, and we re grateful. So thank you, Bridgestone. 5. Assen, Netherlands: Yeah, the Bridgestone tires were working great! The alternate tires were fantastic, as were the primaries. So, you know, it was just a case of holding on and getting our first win of the year. Answers on page 9. Bridgestone Firestone 535 Marriott Drive Nashville, TN Winter inroads is a publication produced by Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc., for its North American Consumer, Truck & Bus Tire Groups to benefit its customers. We welcome and encourage comments about inroads or Bridgestone Firestone and the industry in general. Comments, suggestions and requests for information should be sent to: Susan Sizemore Public Affairs Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. 535 Marriott Dr. Nashville, TN sizemoresusa@bfusa.com (615) Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc.