NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Feb. 3, 2012) — Bridgestone Americas has formed a mining tire business unit and reorganized its Commercial Solutions Group, which oversees OTR, farm and truck tires and retreading.
The new business unit, Bridgestone Mining Solutions, combines mining tire sales, service and sales engineering and a select group of U.S. and Canadian stores into a new entity. Bridgestone did not quantify the new unit's annual sales, number of stores involved or number of employees.
Shawn Rasey, president of the mining group and vice president for OE and government sales for all commercial accounts, will lead the new organization as vice president.
Kurt Danielson, president of Bridgestone Commercial Solutions business unit, said forming the mining unit will allow the firm to “be more responsive to our mining customers' needs.”
At the same time, Bridgestone has made several personnel changes within its commercial tire operations to strengthen structural clarity, efficiency and profitability.
- John Boynton, previously a director at Commercial Solutions, becomes vice president of sales for truck/bus radials, retread and construction tires.
- Doyle Bradford, formerly vice president, sales for the commercial tire business, becomes vice president, sales and operations in Bridgestones' company-owned operations group, which oversees the firm's 240-plus GCR, TDS and C&F commercial service stores throughout the U.S. and Canada.
- Stacey Simmons, director of compensation systems, becomes director of strategic planning, a new position created to assist in developing and executing long-term strategies for all commercial businesses.
Ken Weaver, president, U.S. & Canada Commercial Tire Sales Division, said the changes are designed to streamline the business, making it more responsive to changing market conditions.
The changes come nine months after Bridgestone Americas created the Commercial Solutions Group by combining the resources of Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions and Off Road Tire, U.S. & Canada Tire Sales.