Bridgestone has become the majority shareholder of Slovakian tire dealer ARS. The combined potential of both companies is thought to guarantee the stable growth of ARS and will give customers access to high-quality products and services.
ARS operates across Slovakia in Central Europe; it has one retread shop and eight service locations that will operate under the Bridgestone Partner umbrella. ARS will also become part of Bridgestone’s Bandag retreading network, which is an essential step for the company’s service strategy to maximize the fleet’s tire life and casing asset management.
“Slovakia has many advantages for foreign investors, such as a growing economy, favorable geographical location, skilled labor and a major center for car manufacturing,” said Steven De Bock, commercial business unit director, Bridgestone Europe.
Moreover, partnering with a local leading dealer is consistent with our European strategy to strengthen Bridgestone’s long-term footprint on the tire service channel, promoting the entrepreneurship of our partners and investing in retreading with our Bandag franchisees. This partnership confirms our joint integrated approach – new, retread and services – which are the key elements of Total Tyre Care – the program to reduce operating costs for fleets.”
December 1, 2015
