Bridgestone does it again

Bridgestone South Africa, winner of last year’s FOCUS on Excellence Award for Best Supplier of Tyres, once again managed to walk away with the coveted tyre award this year. FOCUS finds out what lies behind the company’s success.

Despite the fact that the finalists for the 2009 FOCUS on Excellence Award for Best Supplier of Tyres consisted of some of the world’s best known and respected brands, the award was handed to Bridgestone South Africa for the second year in a row.

But, while this repeat victory in itself is quite an achievement, it isn’t the only success that the company has enjoyed at the FOCUS on Excellence Awards. Its other brand, Firestone, has been nominated multiple times and also won the award in 2006.

“I think we’ve shown with these award victories that all of Bridgestone South Africa’s products, regardless of brand, are of the highest quality. Both Bridgestone and Firestone tyres are greatly respected by local transport operators,” states Julio Fava, general manager of producer products at Bridgestone. “The quality of our tyres is very high and because of this they are incredibly durable and reliable.”

According to Fava, transport operators in South Africa are forced to operate under very difficult conditions. Extreme heat, long distances and rough terrain all take a toll on a vehicle’s tyres, and because of this it is incredibly important to fit tyres that are designed to deal with these conditions.

But offering a great product alone is not enough. Operators also need to be assisted in choosing the correct tyre for a specific application. For this reason, Bridgestone ensures that its staff has the knowledge and experience necessary to guide vehicle owners in selecting the best tyre for the job.

“If a tyre isn’t designed for a specific application, it won’t be able to perform up to its usual standard. Because of this, we try to help our customers in the selection of the correct tyre for any given application,” asserts Fava.

Bridgestone South Africa’s success lies in its combination of a premium product with excellent customer service. The company offers a range of respected products, and it tries to add as much value to these products by providing transport operators with innovative solutions and initiatives.

One of these initiatives is a strategic partnership with Maxiprest Tyres, a company that specialises in servicing and maintaining commercial vehicle tyres and assists operators with all tyre-related issues.

“I would like to thank Maxiprest for its excellent back-up support of Bridgestone’s products,” says Fava. “The popularity of the Bridgestone brand is due in large part to Maxiprest’s commitment to customer service.”

Bridgestone South Africa is a company that aims to provide the commercial vehicle industry with a high-quality product, and to combine this premium product with first-rate service. Its multiple FOCUS on Excellence Awards shows that it is succeeding in this task.

“I would like to thank every transport operator and vehicle manufacturer who bought even one Bridgestone tyre in the past year. Without our customers we have no business, so thank you for the continued support,” concludes Fava.