NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Dec. 5) — Bridgestone Americas Holding Inc. will not comment on how it will integrate Bandag Inc.'s business units into its own. But a Bridgestone/Firestone spokeswoman said one reason the tire maker pursued the merger is to go to market the same way its competitors do: with a full line of new tires and retread services.
"In order for us to keep pace with the market and prepare for the future, it's critical that we take a look at our business model and continue to evolve it," she said. "When we combine our business with Bandag, we're going to be able to better serve (fleet) customers. They're going to get a comprehensive, tire maintenance solution, and it's going to be backed by a complete line of new truck tire and retread offerings. That's really the beauty of this. In the U.S. and Canada, we share a very similar distribution network."
Bridgestone Americas plans to operate Bandag as a wholly owned subsidiary after the deal closes. She declined to discuss if Bandag Chairman and CEO Martin Carver will stay on to run the unit but noted that "he is an integral part of that business and he is going to be a resource and a valued adviser going forward."