Bridgestone Mining Solutions Australia has agreed to acquire Otraco International – a specialist in off-the-road (OTR) tire management solutions – from Downer EDI. Bridgestone says the acquisition will accelerate its global mining solutions business and expand its service network in key markets such as Australia, Chile and South Africa.
All business assets, including Otraco’s sales offices and training facilities, OTR customer relationships and the company’s approximately 860 employees, will transfer to Bridgestone upon completion of the sale.
As outlined in its Mid-Term Business Plan, Bridgestone is looking to strengthen its investments in the core tire business while also pursuing M&A activities that expand and enhance its offerings.
“Today we are announcing another significant step in our ongoing solutions journey,” said Masahiro Higashi, global COO and representative executive officer at the Bridgestone Corporation. “Acquiring Otraco will allow us to quickly expand our mining solutions business in key markets and create growth opportunities with existing mining customers. Otraco has an extensive service network built on strong customer relationships and we are excited for their team of experts to join Bridgestone.”
Otraco offers a portfolio of OTR tire management solutions that track tires across the full lifecycle, such as its computerized Otracom platform. It is hoped that these offerings will complement Bridgestone’s OTR products and solutions, including its MasterCore surface mining tires and its tire monitoring and management solution.
“Acquiring Otraco will allow us to quickly expand our mining solutions business in key markets and create growth opportunities with existing mining customers. Otraco has an extensive service network built on strong customer relationships and we are excited for their team of experts to join Bridgestone,” concluded Higashi.
