“Now the biggest tyre company in Ireland”
Bridgestone is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the company’s launch in Ireland and according to its managing director it is now the largest tyre company in Ireland. Bridgestone officially began trading in Ireland in July 1990 with 16 employees and a warehouse and office in Tallaght. Now based in Balbriggan Co. Dublin it employs over 200 people.
“We began very small in 1990 and some of our competitors had a 100 year head start, but we believe we are now clearly the biggest tyre company in Ireland by any measurement,” says Pat Curran, Managing Director, Bridgestone Ireland.
“In the last 20 years we have seen significant changes in both the product and services offered to Bridgestone customers in Ireland. On the product side we have seen a lowering of the profile on car tyres, the introduction of run-flat technology and low-rolling resistance tyres; on the services side Bridgestone Ireland are no longer just a tyre distributor but also a retailer and fleet service provider,” added Pat. “We have changed in every way to match the customers’ needs over twenty years and this has allowed us to become number one.”
In Ireland Bridgestone currently distribute the Bridgestone, Firestone and Dayton tyre brands. It supplies tyres for passenger cars, van, motorcycles, commercial, agricultural and construction vehicles. It also distributes Bandag commercial vehicle retreads. Bridgestone operate the First Stop retail franchise for independent tyre dealers and own and operate the Fast Fit chain of tyre centres.
Bridgestone Ireland is a subsidiary of the Bridgestone Corporation which has its headquarters in Tokyo and is one of the world’s largest tyre and rubber companies. Bridgestone are currently sole tyre suppliers to both Formula 1 and MotoGP.
Bridgestone Ireland is also celebrating 20 years of their longest running sponsorship, the Bridgestone Irish Food Guides. Written and edited by John and Sally Mc Kenna the Bridgestone Guides have chronicled the best of Irish food and places to stay for two decades and have received the André Simon and Glenfiddich international food writing awards. The New York Times has called John and Sally “Ireland’s leading food critics”.