Hoskins to Retire from Bridgestone/Firestone

6 July 1998

Hoskins to Retire from Bridgestone/Firestone

    NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(AutomotiveWire)--July 6, 1998--Bridgestone/Firestone (BFS) announced today that Trevor Hoskins, senior vice president-public affairs, will retire at the end of September. He will then become a consultant to the company.
    Hoskins, who will be 64 in October, joined Bridgestone (U.S.A.) in January 1989 as director of public relations. Following the consolidation with Firestone, Hoskins was appointed executive director of public relations for BFS in June 1990. He was appointed vice president-public affairs in April 1991 and senior vice president-public affairs in January 1997.
    Prior to joining Bridgestone, Hoskins spent 12 years in public relations in the British auto industry as both a staff member and a public relations consultant. He also served 18 years with Goodyear, including 14 years based in the United States during which time he was director of public relations for the company's international operations.
    Hoskins, who was born and educated in England, served in the Royal Air Force in Europe. He has lived in the United States since 1975 and became a U.S. citizen in 1982.
    Commenting on Hoskins' retirement, Kenji Shibata, BFS president, said, "Trevor Hoskins has made an outstanding contribution to this company. Following very difficult earlier years when BFS lost over $1 billion in three years, he has seen the company grow to annual earnings of over $200 million. He played a key role in this recovery as well as in the merging together of the two companies; our move from Akron to Nashville; the resolution of a contract with the United Steel Workers of America and he was very involved with Firestone's return to Indy car racing and Bridgestone's entry into Formula One racing. He will be greatly missed, but we understand his desire to take retirement at this time. We are very pleased he has agreed to continue as a consultant to BFS."
    Hoskins said, "I have had a wonderful 40-year career and enjoyed it enormously. The last ten years have been particularly rewarding and I have achieved my goal of seeing BFS develop into a very strong organization that continues to grow in all areas of tire development, manufacturing, sales and marketing."
    Hoskins said he had chosen to retire, "So that I can do all those things for which there has just not been time. I am looking forward to continuing my association with BFS particularly with all the challenges offered by motorsports, our new tire plant and Firestone's centennial. But I also plan to be with my family, complete my 50,000 miles of running and build a house in the Pacific Northwest. I know I will become involved in other challenges when that major project is completed."
    Shibata said that details of Hoskins' successor will be announced later.