News Release: Firestone Tire and Service
Centers Help Keep America Beautiful
BFS RETAIL & COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS, LLC
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Media Center
(877) 201-2373
FIRESTONE TIRE & SERVICE CENTERS HELP KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL
Company-owned retail stores contribute to unprecedented success in
Keep America Beautiful(r)'s Great American Cleanup(tm)
BLOOMINGDALE, Ill. (Nov. 18, 2004) - America's parks, playgrounds and
public lands are shining a little brighter these days, thanks in major
part to the efforts of Firestone Tire & Service Centers whose stores and
teammates helped collect a record-setting 1.2 million scrap tires to be
recycled as part of Keep America Beautiful(r)'s (KAB) Great American
Cleanup in 2004.
As a national sponsor of the Great American Cleanup, BFS Retail &
Commercial Operations, LLC (BFRC), which owns and operates Firestone
Tire & Service Centers, is proud to be a part of this year's
unprecedented campaign where more than 1,220,000 scrap tires were
collected from communities, public parks and lands for recycling, a 33
percent increase from 2003.
"We wanted to build on last year's success by helping Keep America
Beautiful reach the one million tire mark and continue increasing the
recycling of used automotive batteries and engine oil," said Larry
Magee, CEO and president of BFRC. "Through the involvement of our
teammates across the country, we not only met but surpassed this year's
goal. Firestone is proud to be a part of Keep America Beautiful's
efforts, and of our company's track record in protecting the environment
and helping strengthen our communities."
BFRC's national retail locations, which include Firestone Tire &
Service Centers, TiresPlus and ExpertTire, played an integral role in
this year's campaign by having each of its 2,200 company-owned stores
participate in the effort. Each store served as a community drop-off
location, accepting used engine oil, automotive batteries and scrap
tires from community cleanups for proper recycling at no charge. In
addition, the company-owned stores recycle oil filters, antifreeze, air
conditioning refrigerant, and lead wheel weights, among other items.
On average, more than 80 percent of scrap tires in the US are
beneficially used in some application. They are used in playgrounds as
safer ground cover and as tire swings, as mulch in gardens, for
interstate crash barriers, and as tire derived fuel, among other
productive uses.
Firestone's efforts didn't stop there. Rather its stores and
enthusiastic teammates went above and beyond the call of duty,
participating in KAB's 30,000 locally organized events benefiting more
than 14,000 local communities. Firestone stores sponsored refreshments
for the Keep America Beautiful volunteers, donated volunteer
appreciation coupons, developed and displayed KAB promotional materials,
and published event information on its Web site, www.MasterCareUSA.com.
"The efforts of the Firestone retail stores demonstrate the difference
one company can make toward enhancing the esthetics and environmental
responsibility of our country. Keep America Beautiful is proud of its
partnership with Firestone in establishing a sound environmental
management program for recycling used automotive products and fluids,"
said Gail Cunningham, vice president of Keep America Beautiful and
managing director of the Great American Cleanup. "This year's campaign
exceeded our expectations, and we thank Firestone for playing a major
role in its success. We look forward to raising the bar even higher in
2005 as we strive toward a cleaner and safer environment."
The Great American Cleanup, which runs from March through May, is the
nation's largest organized cleanup and community improvement program.
President George W. Bush served as the program's honorary chairman for
the second consecutive year. In 2004, volunteers cleaned 2,600 illegal
dump sites nationwide, picked up more than 150 million pounds of litter
and debris, restored 4,000 playgrounds and recreation areas, and planted
more than 131,000 trees, flowers and bulbs in three months. Firestone
teammates were proudly among the 2.3 million volunteers pitching in this
year to make their neighborhoods safer, healthier and more beautiful.
Firestone Tire & Service Centers are owned and operated by BFS Retail &
Commercial Operations, LLC (BFRC). BFRC operates the largest number of
company-owned automotive retail generalist stores in the world.
MasterCare(r) technicians perform part repairs and replacements, routine
scheduled maintenance services, and a variety of diagnostic services
covering major systems within a vehicle. To learn more about driving
tips and maintenance or Firestone Tire & Service Center locations, visit
www.MasterCareUSA.com.
BFRC is headquartered in Bloomingdale, Ill., and operates more than
2,200 consumer and commercial vehicle service and tire locations across
the United States and Canada as well as the company's own credit card
operations. The store channels include Firestone Tire & Service Centers,
TiresPlus, ExpertTire, and Mark Morris. GCR Tire Centers offer truck
tire sales, service and retreading outlets for truck and bus,
off-the-road and agricultural tires.
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 third
consecutive year that Firestone Tire & Service Centers and the
Bridgestone Firestone Trust Fund partnered with Keep America Beautiful
as a national sponsor of the program.
Keep America Beautiful, Inc. is a national, nonprofit community
improvement and educational organization whose network of more than 540
local, statewide and international affiliate programs educates
individuals about litter prevention and ways to reduce, reuse, recycle
and properly manage
waste materials.
The Great American Cleanup is one of Keep America Beautiful's many
programs that encourage people to care for communities through volunteer
participation. 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. For more information, please visit www.kab.org.
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