Firestone Tire & Service Centers Contribute to Successful
Environmental Cleanup Campaign
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Firestone Tire & Service Centers Contribute to Successful Environmental
Cleanup Campaign
Firestone company-owned stores' efforts help collect almost a million
scrap tires
Bloomingdale, Ill. (Sept. 17, 2003) - Thanks in major part to the
efforts of Firestone's company-owned stores, almost a million scrap
tires have been removed from parks and roadsides to be recycled into a
variety of new uses as part of Keep America Beautiful's (KAB) Great
American Cleanup 2003.
"The men and women of Firestone's company-owned stores remain committed
to strengthening our communities and protecting our environment, and we
are proud of all of our associates' efforts this year that helped
collect a record-number of stray tires - almost one million," said John
Sheerin, retail environmental manager, BFS Retail & Commercial
Operations, LLC (BFRC), which owns and operates Firestone Tire & Service
Centers. "Keep America Beautiful has been the nation's leading community
improvement and beautification organization for a half century and we
are proud to be a part of this effort."
During this year's event, more than 918,000 tires were collected for
recycling. This represents a 143 percent - or more than double -
increase from 2002's efforts, which yielded 377,000 tires collected, and
was the highest increase of all recycling efforts during the 2003
campaign. This also represents one of the largest private collections in
a single volunteer campaign, according to the Rubber Manufacturers
Association (RMA), which served as an educational partner with Keep
America Beautiful. BFRC is a subsidiary Bridgestone Americas Holding,
Inc., which is a long-standing and active member of the RMA.
"The recycling efforts of Firestone Tire & Service Centers are wonderful
examples of Keep America Beautiful's mission in action," said G. Raymond
Empson, president of Keep America Beautiful, Inc. "The Firestone Tire &
Service Centers' commitment to product stewardship and to the issues of
recycling, litter abatement and community improvement is apparent in its
support of the Great American Cleanup. We are very proud to have
Firestone Tire & Service Centers as a National Sponsor of our 2003 Great
American Cleanup. The involvement of the men and women of Firestone's
company-owned stores certainly helped ensure the incredible
accomplishments of the 2003 Great American Cleanup program."
During the 2003 event, company-owned stores across the country
participated in locally organized clean-up, beautification and community
improvement programs. Company-owned stores served as drop-off locations
for scrap tires and worked with their respective cities' local KAB
affiliates to remove scrap tires from area parks and waterways. More
than 3/4 of the collected and recycled tires have received a new life.
They have been or will be used as playgrounds and tire swings as well as
in erosion control for gardens and for interstate crash barriers, among
other productive uses.
"This year's campaign exceeded our expectations, and I know its success
can be attributed to the hard work and dedication of our associates,
many of whom spent countless hours devoted to championing this cause,"
said Larry Magee, BFRC president, CEO and chairman. "They deserve to be
commended for their willingness to volunteer to work toward a clean and
safe environment."
BFRC is a subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. (BSAH),
which, through its various subsidiaries, has a long tradition of
supporting the environment and conservation. This is the second
consecutive year that Firestone Tire & Service Centers and the
Bridgestone/Firestone Trust Fund partnered with KAB as a national
sponsor of the beautification and community cleanup program. In
addition, the company-owned stores recycle tires, oil, oil filters,
antifreeze, air conditioning refrigerant, batteries and lead wheel
weights, among other items.
Further, BSAH companies have received recognition from many well-known
and respected conservation and environmental groups for its
environmental programs and commitments. The companies have been honored
by KAB, Honda of America Manufacturing, Inc. the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, the Conservation Fund, the Environmental Federation
of Oklahoma, the Iowa Governor's Office, the Tennessee Department of
Environment and Conservation, and the National Geographic/Eastman Kodak
Company/Conservation Fund.
Firestone Tire & Service Centers are owned and operated by BFRC, which
operates the largest number of company owned automotive retail
generalist stores in the world and employs 22,000 associates.
MasterCare(r) technicians perform part repairs and replacements, routine
scheduled maintenance services, and a variety of diagnostic services
covering major systems within a vehicle. For more information on
MasterCare(r) Car Service or Firestone Tire & Service Center locations
visit www.MasterCareUSA.com.
Nashville-based Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. (BSAH) is the U.S.
subsidiary of the Bridgestone Corporation, the world's largest tire and
rubber company. BSAH, through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures
and markets a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone, Dayton and associate
and private brand tires to address the needs of a broad range of
customers, including consumers, automotive and commercial vehicle
original equipment manufacturers and those in the agricultural, forestry
and mining industries. The companies also produce air springs, roofing
materials, synthetic rubber and industrial fibers and textiles and
operate the world's largest chain of automotive tire and service
centers.
Keep America Beautiful, Inc. is a national, nonprofit public education
organization whose network of more than 530 local, statewide and
international affiliates engages individuals in programs about litter
prevention and ways to reduce, reuse, recycle and properly manage waste
materials. Through partnerships and strategic alliances with citizens,
businesses and government, Keep America Beautiful's programs motivate
millions of volunteers annually to clean up, beautify and improve their
neighborhoods, creating safer and more livable community environments.
This year, Keep America Beautiful celebrates its 50th anniversary. For
more information, please visit www.kab.org.
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Tiffany Bryant
Public Relations Coordinator
Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc.
535 Marriott Drive
Nashville, TN 37214
615.937.1418 - voice
615.937.1414 - fax
877.201.2373 - media center
