ABILENE, Texas — Management and staff at Bridgestone Americas Inc.'s Bandag tread rubber plant in Abilene celebrated the plant's 45th anniversary recently.
Originally opened in 1972 by Bandag Inc., the facility is one of four tread rubber plants Bridgestone operates in North America to service its retreading franchisees. The others are in Chino, Calif.; Oxford, N.C.; and Griffin, Ga.
Bridgestone took over the plant in 2007 as part of its $1.05 billion purchase of Bandag.
Over the years, the Abilene plant has earned numerous awards and certifications for its commitment to improving health and safety, including the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association's Improvement Award in 2014 and 2016 and the Keep Abilene Beautiful Recycling Award in 2015.
"Bridgestone's roots in Abilene run deep, and it has been our privilege to call this community home for the last 45 years," said Jeremy Gray, Abilene Plant Manager.
"We'd like to thank the Abilene community for its support over the past 45 years. The Abilene team is excited to begin this next chapter in our plant's history."
The facility employs 170.