Bridgestone Corp. announced plans to acquire 100% of Speedy France, a French car service and tire retail network, Tyres & Accessories reports.
With the acquisition, Bridgestone will expand its French presence to more than 800 retail locations and plans to increase its direct-to-consumer access in France, a key market for Bridgestone, and other areas where Speedy is located, T&A said.
“We are delighted with today’s announcement,” Eduardo Minardi, executive chairman and CEO of Bridgestone EMEA, told T&A. “We consider Speedy to be a strong strategic fit, with a premium customer mix, extended geographical coverage and a focus on service quality. Furthermore, Speedy has strong brand recognition and an innovative mindset.
“I would also like to take the opportunity to warmly welcome the Speedy franchisees and to thank them for their contribution to make Speedy a great service provider. Given Speedy’s performance improvements in the past years, we want its CEO Jacques Le Foll and his team to continue to manage their activities in line with their strategic plan.”
The acquisition will be finalized following approval by regulatory authorities.