Jan 21 , 2013
Bridgestone Corporation and Bridgestone Middle East & Africa inaugurated the Bridgestone Park at JAFZA, Dubai in the presence of senior officials at JAFZA, Dubai. Built with an aim to provide regional customers with new and enhanced services and train its staff to deliver the highest possible standards of customer care. The new 21,678 m2 facility hosts a Training Center for the MEA region, a FirstStop retail store, Bridgestone Truck and Bus Tyre Service Center, and a Bandag Learning Center. Dubai, January 21, 2013 - Bridgestone Middle East and Africa (BSMEA) officially opened its new 21,678 m2 facility – Bridgestone Park – in the South Zone of Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA) this morning. Bridgestone Park was formally inaugurated by Mr. Ibrahim Mohamed Al Janahi, Deputy CEO of JAFZA, and Talal Al Hashimi, Managing Director – Economic Zones World (EZW) – UAE Region; also present at the opening ceremony were Kunitoshi Takeda, Vice President Asia Pacific, China, Russia, Middle East and Africa Tyre Operations, Bridgestone Corporation; Shoichi Sakuma, President, Bridgestone Middle East and Africa; as well as senior officials from JAFZA and Bridgestone's local business partners. The new Bridgestone Park includes a training facility serving the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. The Training Center will be used by Bridgestone employees, distributors, and business partners across MEA to develop and enhance their knowledge and skills. Through the center, Bridgestone is keen to increase professional training standards and take learning and acquiring knowledge to a higher level. Bridgestone Park features a FirstStop retail store – Bridgestone's passenger car service center; the Truck and Bus Tyre Service Center (BTTC); and a Bandag Learning Center, which specialises in retread training. The FirstStop, BTTC, and Bandag Learning Center facilities at Bridgestone Park will be used as models to educate and train regional business partners as these new Bridgestone brands and services are introduced across the region. Bridgestone Park is an extension of the company's long-standing business in the Middle East and Africa and is operated by BSMEA, Bridgestone's Headquarters for the MEA region, based in Dubai. Speaking at the inauguration Mr. Shoichi Sakuma said: “The investment in this stunning new facility gives Bridgestone the opportunity to provide our regional customers with new and enhanced services and to train our staff to deliver the highest possible standards of customer care. Bridgestone Park will become a new, strategic and state-of-the-art hub for BSMEA to enhance our employees', partners', and distributors' skills and knowledge, in order to serve our customers and communities better.” Mr. Ibrahim Mohamed Al Janahi, Deputy CEO of JAFZA, speaking on the occasion said: “Bridgestone's significant investment in its new sustainability focused facility in JAFZA reflects the company's deep commitment to the region and their trust in the Free Zone. I am sure the “Bridgestone Park” will help Bridgestone serve the region more efficiently and in elevating the level of professionalism within the auto industry in the Middle East and African countries. I wish them great success and assure them of our full support, whenever, they need.” FirstStop is Bridgestone's pan-European network of Passenger Tyre and Auto Care service centers which consists of over 2,000 stores with 19 years of professional experience and service excellence in Europe. The FirstStop shop at Bridgestone Park will be the retail brand's model store as it is rolled out to new markets in the Middle East and Africa. FirstStop not only offers its customers a complete tyre service, but also a unique Autocare experience with exceptional service standards. Its dedicated team will offer free safety checks on vehicles, with customer safety on the road, their number one priority. As part of its commitment to provide superior quality products and services, the shop will stock a full range of tyres and auto-care products. Adding to FirstStop's comprehensive tyre services - which include alignment, balancing, repair, and rotation - and auto-care services including oil/filter change, and battery change – FirstStop's mission is to become its customers' preferred ‘Tyre & Auto Care Partner'. The new Bridgestone Truck Tyre Center (BTTC) is a unique facility that caters to the maintenance and service of commercial vehicles – a segment in which tyre safety awareness and economy are critical. Through BTTC, Bridgestone intends to increase the safety of commercial vehicles and improve the lifespan of truck tyres through its decades of expertise in tyre and maintenance services, in addition to increasing levels of safety awareness among those working in the industry. The Bridgestone Truck Tyre Center offers customers a service area with the latest professional machinery, as well as a dedicated area for drivers to relax over a cup of tea or coffee while their vehicle is being serviced. The Bandag Learning Center houses state-of-the-art equipment that will be used for training. The Bandag brand, the world's leader in retreading for more than 50 years, has been part of the Bridgestone Corporation since 2007. At the Center, business associates will get a chance to enhance their skill and knowledge of the retreading process. The learning center emphasizes the safety and reliability of the Bandag system retreads, and showcases the economical and environmental value of retreaded tyres. Bridgestone is committed to helping ensure a healthy environment and retreading is a sound ecological solution as it uses up to 75 per cent less energy and resources than required to manufacture a new tyre. “Safety and becoming ever-more eco-friendly remain our core values at Bridgestone. Through our work at Bridgestone Park we hope to increase road safety levels, build environmental awareness, and bring the best in customer care, to fulfill our commitment of Serving Society with Superior Quality,” added Shiochi Sakuma Bridgestone's Middle East and Africa President.
