Bridgestone Commercial Solutions (BCS), a division of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, now offers a suite of products and services designed to increase a mine’s productivity, and reduce costs with a constant regard to safety. Bridgestone Mining Solutions (BMS) combines tyre sales and repair with tyre management and retreading to address every phase of a mine’s tyre-related needs.
“In talking to our mining customers, they told us what they need most is support in keeping their people and their work environment safe, help with increasing productivity, and assistance in driving costs out of their operations,” said Kurt Danielson, President, Bridgestone Commercial Solutions. “Although tyres are our main product, we realise that service is key to increasing our customers’ uptime. BMS is a response to what our customers wanted and needed: a total solution that speaks to each phase of tire life, helping them save money and increase productivity.”
Bridgestone Mining Solutions include:
Offering tyres with proven performance using the latest technology
Consultation and support-offering a range of services in North America, assisting with everything from strategic planning to technical support
Repairs-seven repair centres are located throughout North America
Rims & Wheels-offering a number of rims and wheels, in addition to the line of underground mining wheels
Tyre Management- Tracking tyres, rims, retreads, repairs – its whole suite of solutions – to provide best-in-class reporting
Retreading & Sustainability- Environmental responsibility is a fundamental part of our business model. It offers retreading as a recycling solution and hopes to announce further innovations in the near future
B-TAG- the newest solution- a tyre temperature and pressure monitoring system that helps automate a mine’s tyre maintenance practices.
Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations also announced during a press conference at MINExpo in Las Vegas that it will make an additional investment of $27.3 million for a second expansion project at its Bloomington, Illinois off-the-road (OTR) tyre plant.
Most of the investment will go toward new machinery for the production of giant loader tires (GLT). The Bloomington plant currently specialises in GLT bias production, making it the ideal location to increase production of these tires. The expansion will create approximately 47 new jobs.
“The strong demand for giant loader tyres is currently exceeding supply,” said Ken Weaver, President, U.S. & Canada Commercial Tire Sales Division, Bridgestone Americas. “This additional expansion will better position us to respond to the continued market demand we expect to see, and to meet global growth in the mining sector.”
This announcement follows news in April of a $19.5 million investment in the plant to increase production of tyres used in heavy industry. Most of that investment will also go toward new machinery, is expected to be completed in mid-2013, and will result in at least 40 new jobs.
“Both of these announcements help further establish our commitment to this industry and serving the needs of our customers,” said Kurt Danielson, President, Bridgestone Commercial Solutions. “We want to confirm our position as a leader in this market, and these expansions are just one step in that process.”
The Bridgestone Americas plant in Bloomington, which has been operated by the company since 1994, produces off-the-road tyres.
