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COMPANY NEWS
away from a sell-in oriented channel approach to a sell-out approach.
“The channel is there to give a comprehensive fleet offering,” explains De Bock. “For this reason it is impossible to separate Bridgestone and Bandag. Our aim is to change from being a tyre salesman to being a consultant. To achieve this we need to work together with dealers to persuade customers that we are bringing the necessary value. We are therefore placing lots of emphasis on quality of service, and our aim is to develop fleets together with dealer partners, who are best placed to develop direct contact with customers. According to De Bock Bridgestone is gaining ground in the overall fleet solutions business. An integral part of the process of developing into a fleet consultant is TPMS and software packages for dealers
and fleets. The company has instigated a companywide training programme to train staff, dealers and fleets in the effective use of its software tools. This is a big investment,” says De Bock, “and implementation is a five to six year process. We are already seeing a big change. Our sales force now all have our Toolbox, which has dramatically improved the speed and power of information within our organisation.
“Our approach to the market is influenced heavily by our parent company in Japan who stated aim is that ‘we don’t just want to be better than the best – we want to be the best by far.’ This is a powerful message, and relates not just to market share but also to the nature of our organisation and the mindset of our employees. We are not only transforming our own future, but that of our partners too.”
therefore a reduction in fuel consumption.
Also already in the market is Bridgestone updated range for regional applications, R-Steer 001 and R-Drive 001, which replace the R297 and M729 respectively, and U-AP 001, the company’s new premium all- position bus tyre for urban use. Features of the U-AP 001 include increased load capacity and a 20% longer tyre life than its predecessor, the R192. According to Steven De Bock further improvements to the Bridgestone range can be expected later this year, when a complete new on/off road range will be introduced later this year, followed by an update to the company’s 17.5” and 19.5” light truck ranges during 2016. The Bridgestone brand is not the only Bridgestone group brand to be updated in recent times. A new Firestone truck tyre generation was launched at the Reifen Essen show last year and was introduced progressively during the second half of 2014. Designed to offer truck operators a good and reliable level of performance combined with long service life at low cost, the range includes the FS 422 steer tyre, the FD622 drive tyre and FT522 trailer tyre.
Up until now Bridgestone has been competing in the market
with two brands. However, according to De Bock the company is now on the verge of launching a third brand, which will be introduced to the market place towards the end of the year.
Bridgestone’s new tyre range is backed up by the Bandag range of pre-cured retreads. “One of the benefits of an integrated system is the fact that when a new tyre is launched the retread version is available from the start,” says De Bock.
Last year the company launched Bandag FuelTech retreads, the designs for which are based on the Ecopia fuel-efficient truck tyre range. Two Bandag FuelTech products became available from October 2014, namely the Drive tread M749 FuelTech, featuring all-season safe M+S design and speed index M, and the Trailer tread R109 FuelTech.
Finally, at the end of 2013, Bridgestone launched Protread by Bandag, a second-line range of pre-cured treads aimed at price-sensitive fleet customers.
Bridgestone Continue Product Range Renewal Process
Tyre manufacturers are continuously involved in a perpetual cycle of redesign and renewal in order to keep their product ranges at the cutting edge of technological development, and Bridgestone is no exception.
According to Steven De Bock started its latest “product road map revitalisation” a couple of years ago incorporating new commercial tyre ranges under the Bridgestone range, updates to the Bandag retread brand and new ranges and plans for the company’s subsidiary brands. Central to Bridgestone’s solution for long haul applications is the Ecopia fuel efficient tyre, available in Ecopia H-Steer 001, Ecopia H-Drive 001 and Ecopia H-Trailer 001 formats. Ecopia is Bridgestone’s most efficient highway truck tyres ever, providing a 5% fuel saving over the previous Ecopia range without compromising tyre life. The range incorporates Bridgestone’s NanoPro-Tech compound, which reduces the
internal friction between the different tyre compound elements, leading to a major reduction in energy loss and
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