THRIVE by Bridgestone Americas

The idea of a fleet may bring to mind a very specific type of vehicle for some people. But the reality in the modern world of mobility is that fleets truly come in all shapes and sizes.  In the latest episode of THRIVE, host Keith Cawley explores the changing world of commercial tire and fleet solutions with two of Bridgestone's top experts – Steve Hoeft , President of the Commercial Truck Group f...

Explore Bridgestone's fascinating history on the western coast of Africa where the country of Liberia has been home to Firestone Natural Rubber since 1926. In the latest episode of THRIVE, host Keith Cawley chats with two Liberian natives and current Firestone Natural Rubber employees, Marion Wreh-Socree and Murphy Socree , about operations, life, and community on a sprawling natural rubber farm t...

It was only four years after its founding as a rubber and tire company that Bridgestone produced its first golf ball. Nearly 90 years later, Bridgestone Golf continues to serve the Bridgestone brand both as a promotional platform and a showcase for material science innovation. Join host Keith Cawley and Dan Murphy , President of Bridgestone Golf, to discover the parallels that connect Bridgestone...

When you think of robots, most envision the rigid movements of the metallic, stiff machines popularized in TV and movies. But there is a very different and more realistic image that comes to mind for Hiroki Nakayama and the team at Bridgestone Soft Robotics Ventures. While exhibiting this exploratory technology at CES 2024, Nakayama-san joins THRIVE host Keith Cawley to explain how our rubber, mat...

Human trafficking is a global crisis impacting more than 50 million victims as of 2023. With a connected network of customers and partners always moving across America's roadways, transportation industry leaders like Bridgestone can play a critical role in the fight. In this episode of THRIVE from CES 2024, Esther Goetsch , Executive Director of Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT), and Josh Holland...

Motorsports have long been a proving ground and mobile lab for leaders in the automotive industry, and Bridgestone is no different. But in line with its vision for the future and long-term targets, the company is increasingly focusing its racing energy in emerging motorsports platforms that are trying to drive innovation in alternative and more sustainable mobility – such as the Bridgestone World...

Dive into the connected ecosystem of fleet management in this episode of THRIVE live from CES 2024. Dishing on data and talking telematics, host Keith Cawley sits down with Jan-Maarten de Vries , President of Fleet Management Solutions for Bridgestone Mobility Solutions, to explore how platforms like Webfleet and Azuga are integral to Bridgestone's mobility solutions strategy. From collecting real...

With a shared history in motorsports and a common vision for a more sustainable future, Penske and Bridgestone continue to travel similar paths to drive change in the mobility industry. In this episode live from CES 2024, THRIVE host Keith Cawley chats with Bill Combs , Vice President of Sustainability at Penske, and Mark Metoki , Executive Director of Sustainability Enabling Solutions for Bridges...

THRIVE kicks off season 7 at CES 2024 by exploring the rapid advancement of autonomous vehicle technologies with Don Burnette , CEO and founder of Kodiak Robotics , and Cassiano Polycarpo , Director of Original Equipment Account Management for Bridgestone Mobility Solutions. Don shares his journey from the early days at Google's self-driving team to founding Kodiak Robotics, while Cassiano explain...

In October 2023, Bridgestone introduced the next chapter in its global strategy with the formation of Bridgestone West. In this episode of THRIVE, CEO Paolo Ferrari sits down with Keith Cawley to explain the drivers of this dynamic integration, which is bringing together Bridgestone businesses and functions across the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Paolo shares how this new global stru...

Bridgestone introduced the concept of ENLITEN in 2022 and is moving quickly to demonstrate the impact it can make in both its product strategy and operations. Already in 2023 Bridgestone has launched two new ENLITEN products that are changing the game through advanced materials and design, including the breakthrough PeakLife polymer. In this episode, host Keith Cawley is joined by Jess Placke and...

Quality is a word that carries immense importance at Bridgestone, but it can mean different things to different people. Join THRIVE host Keith Cawley as he quizzes quality leaders about the crucial role their team plays in fulfilling Bridgestone's mission. Chris Lasko , Chief Quality Officer, and Nick Turk , the Executive Director of Quality Operations, join Keith to discuss how quality spans the...

Hi there, and welcome to THRIVE, a Bridgestone Americas podcast exploring our company through compelling conversations with the people moving us forward every day. Our conversations dive deep into the different areas of our business and how they support our strategic vision. We also unpack our history, highlight our culture, and connect the dots on tangible efforts we're driving to deliver our com...

From humble beginnings in Akron, Ohio, the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company grew to become a global powerhouse in the transportation industry. Now the history of the company and its pioneering founder, Harvey Firestone, lives on through the Firestone Archives – one of the most robust corporate archives ever assembled. More than 120 years of chronicled history includes correspondence with U.S. Pre...

Season six of THRIVE takes off with a reconnect on our Bridgestone purpose. Join host Keith Cawley for a conversation with Sara Correa, Chief Marketing Officer at Bridgestone Americas, and Wade Munday, Director of Corporate Philanthropy and Social Impact, as they explore how the Bridgestone Americas Trust Fund, brand partnerships, local community initiatives, and more are helping address what real...

Teams across Bridgestone are increasingly focused on helping the company advance toward its long-term sustainability goals, but one group in particular has this pursuit more explicitly outlined in its name. From developing new demo tires with 75% recycled and renewable materials to forging partnerships that seek to unlock new possibilities for end-of-life tires, the Sustainable Business Office is...

Bridgestone is doubling down on ensuring both its processes and products make a positive environmental impact as it continues its journey to become a sustainable solutions company. In addition to advancing smart manufacturing with cutting edge technologies, Bridgestone is driving innovative environmental projects in manufacturing to make further progress against its bold long-term sustainability ...

The base concept of the newly-introduced term ENLITEN is the same for everyone at Bridgestone: a complete focus on maximizing both performance and sustainability. However, it can mean something different depending on the audience, serving as an internal operational mindset that influences end-to-end activities across our entire company, as well as an external designation for premium products and s...

At Bridgestone, how we operate is just as critical as what we produce. In pioneering sustainable solutions for a digital world, we're making investments that accelerate smart manufacturing and make our operations safer, more efficient, and more data driven. In this episode, host Keith Cawley chats with Andy Warren , Senior Manager of Engineering Services Support, and Joe Wilson, Director of Mainte...

A digital transformation is evolving how we work at Bridgestone to support the need for data to be available to teammates, partners and customers whenever and wherever they need it. But smoothly and securely delivering this efficiency and convenience in a modern world doesn't happen overnight. In this episode, host Keith Cawley talks to  Bridie Sellers , Vice President and Enterprise Resource Plan...

The Bridgestone Women's Initiative Network, or BWIN for short, was created in 2016 as the company's first Employee Resource Group (ERG). With a mission to position women to thrive and lead at Bridgestone, BWIN has since expanded its membership into the thousands across borders and business units. Additionally, the group has provided a foundational framework for the creation of other ERGs and playe...

THRIVE Season 5's opening road trip to CES 2023 closes with a deep dive into one a marquee displays in the Bridgestone booth that demonstrates how tire, smart sensor, and Firestone Airide technology are being integrated to create one advanced mobility solution. Host Keith Cawley is joined by two Bridgestone teammates – Kevin Scheifele , Strategic Innovation Design Lead, and Terence Wei, Senior Man...

THRIVE Season 5 is starting on the road with host Keith Cawley bringing listeners bite-size episodes from CES 2023. Technology has made vehicles smarter, more efficient, and even more entertaining, yet it's done little to help simplify how drivers and fleet owners pay for fuel, service, and more – until now. In this episode, Keith is joined by Car IQ Founder and CEO Sterling Pratz , who created a...

THRIVE Season 5 is starting on the road with host Keith Cawley bringing listeners bite-size episodes from CES 2023. When you think of digital transformation, few names stand out like Microsoft. For decades, the iconic tech giant has blended innovative people, processes, data, and technology to help organizations evolve. In this episode, Keith sits down with Eric Chaniot – General Manager of Automo...

THRIVE Season 5 is starting on the road with host Keith Cawley bringing listeners bite-size episodes from CES 2023. In this episode, Keith connects with mobility powerhouse Bosch to discuss the massive transformation happening across the automotive industry. Paul Thomas, VP of Mobility for Bosch in the Americas, shares insight on how Bosch is evolving, much like Bridgestone, from systems and hardw...