More Details on Bridestone Restructuring

In addition to moving select operations of its Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions unit from Muscatine, Iowa, to Nashville, Tenn., Bridgestone Americas also plans to relocate its original equipment tire unit there from Lovi, Mich.

All the current Bridgestone locations “will continue to house important operations,” including Muscatine, Lovi and retail facilities in Bloomingdale, Ill., and Clearwater, Fla., the company said.

As part of the restructuring, the company will cut roughly 425 jobs nationwide over the next six to nine months. Forty of the positions are either contractors or open positions, according to a report in The Tennessean.

“Our goals are to become a more profitable and customer-focused business; to lower costs by eliminating duplication and inefficiencies; and to harness our talent and expertise in a way that best serves the business,” Bridgestone said in a statement.

A total of 32 Bandag employees, including the senior management team, will relocate to Nashville, Bridgestone said. Some 220 Bandag workers will remain in the Iowa location. The Bandag move to Nashville should be completed by June 30.

Ascot Supply Corporation, based in Newnan, Georgia, has selected Mark Paquette for the newly created position of vice president. In this position, Ascot Supply said Paquette will oversee the growth of the company's products, corporate profitability, manage marketing and advertising and assume many other responsibilities.

He will work under the direction of current President David Kessler and officially begin his new role on June 3. Paquette joined the tire and automotive industry in the early 1980s at his father's tire shop, and his contributions to Mohawk Rubber Sales were instrumental in the company's growth and eventual sale to Myers Tire Supply in 2021, according to Ascot Supply. Paquette eventually was given a promotion to the role of director of operations at Myers Tire Supply.