Ex-Bridgestone exec to succeed Cicero at Triangle

FRANKLIN, Tenn.—Triangle Tire USA Inc. has promoted Campbell Metcalfe—a former finance executive with Bridgestone Americas Inc.—to chairman, succeeding Manny Cicero, who's retiring after a 36-year career.

Metcalfe has been Triangle's vice president of finance and operations since April 2018, joining the company after nearly three years as a vice president with Resource Label Group L.L.C. in Nashville.

He worked for Bridgestone Americas in various financial capacities for more than 20 years, most recently as the finance director for truck/bus tires and retreads, in 2014-15. He joined Bridgestone in 1994 as a senior business analyst.

Metcalfe has a finance degree from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management.

Cicero has been CEO of Triangle Tire USA since December 2015. He will remain with the company as an advisor.

"I made a 5-year commitment to Triangle when I joined the company in late 2015," Cicero said. "I went past that by about six months. I feel proud that the brand made good progress in the U.S. during that time and is well positioned for the future."

Cicero joined Triangle in December 2015 as the CEO of the newly formed American subsidiary, Triangle Tire USA. He was tasked with establishing a U.S. presence, growing Triangle brand equity and shifting the company's distribution strategy away from brokers to long-term U.S. distribution partners.

Under his leadership, a U.S. team was organized, warehouses were established in Nashville, and Escondido, Calif., and Triangle signed several commercial tire dealers.

Despite antidumping and countervailing duties, Triangle increased OTR sales in the U.S., along with specialty trailer tires. Triangle said it ranks fourth in the world in OTR tire production.

Other stops along Cicero's career path include:

• President of Alliance Tire Americas, 2007 to June 2014;
• CEO of Denman Tire Corp., 2005 to 2007; and
• President, Bridgestone Americas Off Road Tire Division, 1999 to 2005.

His tire industry career began in 1984 as a territory manager with Bridgestone-Firestone Inc.

"I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all the customers and team members who have supported Triangle Tire USA during the past five years and who have supported me personally through more than four decades in the industry," Cicero said. "I treasure the many friendships I made in the industry over those years."

Triangle Tire USA is the wholly owned subsidiary of China's Triangle Tyre Co. Ltd., which is considered the world's 27th largest tire maker, based on fiscal 2019 sales of $1.13 billion. It claims to be one of the four largest producers of OTR tires worldwide.