Ono will not speak at ACS Rubber Division meeting

CINCINNATI (Oct. 3)—Masatoshi Ono, president and CEO of Bridgestone/Firestone Inc., has canceled as the keynote speaker at the ACS Rubber Division fall meeting and Mini-Expo in Cincinnati Oct. 17-19. For the past two months, Ono and Bridgestone/Firestone have faced an avalanche of negative publicity because of the company´s recall of 6.5 million Firestone ATX and Wilderness AT tires. Company spokespersons did not immediately know the reason for Ono´s cancellation. They denied rumors that Ono would take early retirement.