GCR hires Hoeft to fill vacant COO post

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Bridgestone Americas Inc.'s GCR Tires & Service (GCR) business has hired Steve Hoeft, an operations specialist, to become its chief operating officer, filling an open position.

Mr. Hoeft joins Bridgestone from Execution Specialists Group (ESG), where he led consulting practice areas including strategy development and implementation, operations and sales resource alignment, supply chain management and inventory rationalization.

GCR President John Vasuta cited Mr. Hoeft's "extensive operational experience and expertise" as traits that make him well-suited for his new position.

"At GCR, we take great pride in being a trusted and proactive adviser to our customers, and Steve's leadership will ensure we are delivering a consistent, high-quality customer service experience across all of our store locations."

Mr. Hoeft will be based in Nashville and will lead the operations function of GCR, driving standardization, process improvement and systems leadership across more than 200 GCR store locations in North America.

Prior to his time with ESG, Hoeft was senior vice president and general manager of U.S. operations and product development for Brink's Inc. In that role, he was responsible for all U.S. field operations, leading 7,000 teammates with a focus on customer satisfaction, revenue growth and quality of service.

Mr. Hoeft also has worked for Advance Auto Parts in roles of increasing responsibility, including vice president of commercial operations and market growth strategy, regional vice president of operations and vice president of sales and national accounts.