SALT LAKE CITY — Bridgestone Retail Operations (BSRO) has closed 13 of its 14 Firestone Complete Auto Care stores in the greater Salt Lake City area, reportedly due to the expiration of a master lease covering the properties.
Bridgestone declined to comment on the reason or reasons for the closings. Local news media reported the cause was due to the lease situation.
The company has one remaining Firestone Complete Auto Care store in Utah, in West Jordan, and Bridgestone is urging customers to seek out one of its 150 affiliated dealers in Utah for service. Consumers can call 844-293-7514 to find an affiliated dealer in the area, BSRO said.
Among larger Bridgestone-affiliated retailers in the area are Burt Brothers Tire with 11 stores and Commercial Tire Inc. with five locations.
In a prepared statement, BSRO said it "continually assesses its portfolio to ensure we are meeting the needs of consumers across our nationwide network of 2,200 stores. After a thorough evaluation, BSRO has made the difficult decision to close 13 Firestone Complete Auto Care store locations in the greater Salt Lake City area."
The retail unit of Bridgestone Americas added it is working to "minimize the impact of these closures on employees, customers and the community."
The company did not say how many employees are affected.