Bridgestone Voted Manufacturer of Year at Cologne Expo

This honour was announced at the 2008 Tire Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence ceremony and gala dinner, held on Feb. 20.

The awards were organised by Tire Technology International magazine, a publication specialising in tyre design, materials and manufacturing technology, and international jury of 15 tyre professionals, engineers and academics evaluated nominations for each of the five award categories. The categories voted upon for the 2008 awards were tyre manufacturing and design innovation; environmental achievement; tyre technology of the year; tyre industry supplier of the year; and tyre manufacturer of the year.

The jury cited reasons for Bridgestone’s selection as tyre manufacturer of the year as, amongst other achievements, the expansion of both its Technical Centre and Proving Ground in Europe – a facility, comments Bridgestone, unrivalled in Europe for its capability to test all types of tyre configuration on all types of road surfaces. Bridgestone was also cited for its production of advanced radial tyres for the first Airbus A380, projects to improve the ecological balance of its activities and work on the global road safety campaign Think Before You Drive.

“We are extremely proud to have won the 2008 award for Manufacturer of the Year” commented Takashi Urano, chairman, CEO and president of Bridgestone Europe. “Bridgestone’s achievements on a European and international level will consolidate our position as a truly global leader in the rubber and tyre business, both in name and reality.” (Tyres & Accessories/Staffordshire, U.K.)

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has named Ryan Waldron as president of the company's Americas business unit, reporting to Chief Executive Officer and President Mark Stewart. He succeeds Steven R. McClellan, who retired on April 1.

"At Goodyear, our customers are at the center of everything we do, and in Ryan Waldron, we have a customer-centric, execution-focused business leader with a deep understanding of both the marketplace and all aspects of our business, as well as a proven track record of delivering results," Stewart said. "I am thrilled to announce him as president of Goodyear's Americas business and have enormous confidence that under his leadership, both the company and our customers will reach even greater levels of success."