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CONEXION LATINA XI ME
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SEPTEMBER 2014
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SUMMARY
EDITORIAL Corporate Public Relations Consumer Marketing
ARGENTINA
CHILE
COLOMBIA
Argentina hosted the Moto GP 8
Road Safety in Schools 16
Live your passion… Play the Bridgestone Amateur Cup 20
The Bridgestone Freestyle Cup 9
United by our people 17
Together in a Voluntary job 10/11
Mother’s Day in Bridgestone Chile 18
Advice for those who travel the 2014 World Cup 11
An emotional Father’s Day 18
Celebrating 20 Years of Distribution with ‘Termillantas’ All tires for all paths 21 Super Promotion “Safe Travel with Bridgestone” 21
Bridgestone in the program “El Tacómetro” 19
BRASIL Bridgestone launches Road Safety Campaign in Brazil 12/13
Staff Staff
Bridgestone together with LAN on Father’s Day e 19
ECUADOR Bridgestone educates drivers in Santo Domingo 22/23
Bridgestone supports “Bento Quirino Kart of Solidarity”14/15 BSAR Liliana Nasiff Ma. Luz Herrera
BSBR Josiene M. de Santana
BSCO Pamela Alarcón
BSCR Ana María Arce
BSMX Amelia Vives
BSVZ Mayela Carta Jasergui González Daniella Vera
CCR Corporate Public Relations Consumer Marketing Media Outreach
CSR Environment Road Safety Community Support
COSTA RICA
MEXICO
Bridgestone strengthened the lines of the “Super team in the region” 24/25
New plant of Polyurethane Foam in Guanajuato, Mexico. 30
Educational workshops and new children’s drawing competition 37
Bridgestone wears ‘Essential Costa Rica” 26
Participation at the Expo Golf 2014 31
VENEZUELA
Bridgestone celebrates Environment Day 27
Adrenaline and rock in the first driving event of “Come and Live Bridgestone” 32/33
Imagination is the limit when it comes to reusing tires 28
Introduction of Management Plan of used tires in Mexico 34 Bridgestone and Bandag are Recognized as Socially Responsible Companies in Mexico 35 Volunteer Actions 36
Bridgestone Firestone celebrates 60 years in venezuela 38 Tree plantings to commemorate environment day 39
Bridgestone leaves traces on the environment, the community and sports 40 Bridgestone adds passion to the soccer world in Venezuela 41
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EDITORIAL
Editorial
Welcome! In the 17 publication of Conexion Latina, Bridgestone Latin America includes the actions aligned to the objective determined by our CEOs at Bridgestone Corporation, aimed at becoming a truly global company. At Bridgestone Latin America, we are committed to strengthening our relationships with the community and stakeholders, becoming a company that plays an integral role in the society. In response, the Corporate Communications and Social Responsibility regional team is working hard to reach the goals while implementing best practices lead to: • Comply with BSJ ‘One Voice’ global vision. • Strengthen communications channels in Latin
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America. • Generate the mayor media coverage in all markets through Innovative PPRR and CSR strategies supporting our operations. • Promote safety education through global campaigns and community support programs. • Promote activities following our Environmental Mission, One Team, One Planet. We invite you to learn of the important events and relevant results through this Conexion Latina newsletter. Cordially,
Regional Team Corporate Relations & Social Responsibility Bridgestone Latin America Tire Division, BATO LA
600
$0
400
200
66
$ 3,000,000
484
CSR Community Support
CSR Volunteering Program
CSR Tire Safety
CSR Environment
MKT BBTS ( General Information )
1.2 MD
43
$27 (‘000)
26
$126 (‘000)
147
$318 (‘000)
109
$274 (‘000)
362
$9 (‘000) 8
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1995
$3,9 MD
$5,4 MD
$ 5,000,000
Number of publications by country
Venezuela
800
Uruguay
$ 4,000,000
50
1200
Perú
1000
582
1400
México
1600
31
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Ecuador
44
$0
315
45
Costa Rica
PRESS MKT Consumer ( Time to Perform )
$0
300
RADIO
MKT Consumer ( BS Libertadores )
$ 1,000,000
Colombia
$ 8,000,000
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TV
Corporate Local News
$ 5,000,000
Chile
USD by country $873 (‘000)
$ 2,000,000
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574
$ 3,000,000
Brasil
Desgloce por tipo de medio Corporate Global News
3,312 887 46 262 75
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Media Outreach
Argentina
99,782,181 3,837
$ 151 (‘000)
Regional Results 1st Half-2014.
Venezuela
$ 5,000,000
$ 1,3 MD
$28 (‘000)
$ 1,0 MD
153
Uruguay
Perú
México
$ 60 (‘000)
$ 510 (‘000)
$ 562 (‘000)
$ 305 (‘000)
People Scope Broadcasting (airtime) General tone of Voice Positive News + Neutral News = Negative News Press Releases Interviews
Ecuador
Costa Rica
Colombia
Chile
$ 6,000,000
$7,5 MD
$ 7,000,000
Brasil
$ 1,000,000
$ 691 (‘000)
$ 2,000,000
Argentina
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Results by Topic 2,500
2,000
$ 4,000,000 1,500
1,000
500
0
USD Media Stories
499 AD VALUE $12.2 MD
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SERIES 1
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REGION
Successful 2014 Bridgestone Libertadores Finale
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Bridgestone Latinoamerica and the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) conducted a series of activities within the 2014 Copa Bridgestone Libertadores Finale, celebrated August 13, at the Pedro Bidegarain Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In prior hours to the final match between teams San Lorenzo from Argentina and Nacional from Paraguay, a press conference was chaired by CONMEBOL President, Mr. Juan Ángel Napout; Representative of Club San Lorenzo, Mr. Matias Lammens; Representative of the National Club of Paraguay, Dr. Enrique Sanchez; accompanied by Matias Borges, Executive Director, Consumer Sales and Marketing of Bridgestone Latin America, and Alfonso Zendejas, President of Bridgestone Argentina. During the Award Ceremony, Bridgestone presented the trophy to the Champion Team delivered by Gabriel Asbun, President of Bridgestone Latin America Tire Division to Leandro Romagnoli, Captain of San Lorenzo team; while the MVP Trophy (Most Valuable Player) was delivered by Matias Borges, Executive Director, Consumer Sales and Marketing of Bridgestone Latin America to Néstor Ezequiel Ortigoza from San Lorenzo team. Onsite recognition to the MVP is determined by Bridgestone and the International Press. Bridgestone developed a variety of promotional activities in the region, bringing the excitement of soccer to fans and motorists. Winners of the Reporter Contest launched for second consecutive year, became the stars in a series of media stories du-
ring the final encounter. In addition, during the halftime show of Libertadores match, it was also held the end tournament of Bridgestone Freestyle Cup, in which four finalists from Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina competed to demonstrate their mastery with the football balloon, evaluated by jury Charly Iacono, Freestyle world runner-up, and Dan Wood, President of the World Freestyle Football Federation. Joel Peña from Paraguay was the winner being awarded with US$ 10,000. Finally, the 1st edition of the Bridgestone Amateur Regional Cup was also held on August 12, with the participation of winning teams of local tournaments coordinated in Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Mexico respectively. Thus, the Mexican team was the winner of this tournament. “We are so proud of the positive results, while exceeding our own expectations with the Bridgestone Libertadores Cup sponsorship, thanks to the several promotional activities implemented throughout the championship which have certainly highlighted the passion and talent of fans in the region,” said Matias Borges, Executive Director, Consumer Sales and Marketing of Bridgestone Latin America. “The alliance with CONMEBOL has allowed Bridgestone to continue to operate in alignment with our mission of Serving Society with Superior Quality,” Borges pointed out.
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ARGENTINA
Argentina hosted the Moto GP
The most important category of the motorcycle world ran at the Autodromo Santiago del Estero de Termas in Rio Hondo, Argentina.
There were three unforgettable days where Bridgestone was present along with customers, teammates and journalists from the mainstream media specialized in Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Peru. At the same time and by means of a great communication campaign in the mainstream media, the company carried forward a promotion so that the fanatic spectators could participate in a drawing for a trip for 2 people to experience the exciting com-
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petition. Finally, the current champion of the category, Marc Mรกrquez, left with the Red Bull Grand Prize from the Argentinian Republic. Nevertheless it was Valentino Rossi, the official Bridgestone driver, who received all the applauses in a racetrack filled with more than 60 thousand spectators. In this manner, Bridgestone continues to demonstrate the technological advances of its tires on the tracks of Argentina and the world.
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The Bridgestone Freestyle Cup The new tournament promoted by Bridgestone, was introduced to teammates at Llavallol manufacturing plant. Carlos Iรกcono, the five-time Argentine Freestyle champion, Latin-American champion and world runner-up of soccer visited the offices of Bridgestone and displayed all his talent before the television cameras. With the objective of promoting the championship, Iรกcono also held a brief interview where he told Fox Sports the history of how he arrived at this discipline and explained, in addition, the operation of the tournament for which he was a judge. The competition delivered an award of 10,000 dollars to the winner. The participants came from the four semifinalist countries of the Bridgestone Libertadores Cup: Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia.
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ARGENTINA
Together in a Voluntary Job
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Bridgestone Argentina continued its voluntary work in the organic garden of the ‘Rinconcito de Amor’ home.
At the end of June and because of the International Corporate Volunteerism Week and the International Environment Day, Bridgestone volunteers accompanied by their relatives, visited once more the organic garden of the home created by the company under the volunteerism program during 2011.
of irrigation system, an electronic panel for the centrifugal sprinkler pump, weeded and prepared the ground for a new sowing.
The main objective of this activity was to maintain this space so that children can learn to work the land and to understand the importance of the care of the environment, in addition to promoting the importance of teamwork and collaboration.
Dora Flores, director of the Home commented, “Bridgestone has helped us now for several years, which makes the strong bonds of solidarity possible. With the aid of the volunteers we join forces and we pass it on to other businesses that are as well supportive. This is very positive since the diversity and the union can generate a strong solidarity that impacts the children greatly.”
In this occasion, they installed covers on the greenhouse sides; they also installed a pump for the automation
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The products obtained by the work in the organic garden are consumed by the children and youth that inhabit the Rinconcito de Amor home.
Advices for motorists who traveled to the 2014 World Cup Through a communication distributed in the mainstream media and through digital platforms, Bridgestone brought advice to those that traveled to Brazil to enjoy the 2014 World Cup. The recommendations aimed at generating traveler awareness and to avoid traffic accidents for those who traveled by car, as well as those that were up for traveling by motorcycle. In addition, Bridgestone Argentina also communicated vital regulations of the neighboring country, Brazil, and advised on the topography of the region.
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BRAZIL
Bridgestone launches Road Safety Campaign in Brazil
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Think Before You Drive campaign: (1) always use car seats for children; (2) always use your seat belt; (3) adjusts the headrests; (4) verify tire conditions. Around 1,600 students received the informative leaflet on behalf of Bridgestone. Company volunteers also came to the event, who participated as assistants during the conferences and in the development of activities. The Road Safety Campaign of Bridgestone Brazil will continue with new events during the second half-year.
Because of the launching of its Road Safety Campaign, Bridgestone Brazil carried out during the two last weekends in May, events open to the public which were held in the cities of Campinas, the 24th and 25th, as well as in Santo AndrĂŠ, the 31st of May and 1st of June, promoting the two world campaigns implemented by Bridgestone and the FIA Foundation: Think Before You Drive and Make Cars Green. During both events the participants attended conferences, forums, and participated in educational activities for all ages, including raffles; repor-
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ting a total of 570 event attendees. As part of the established activities, the launching of the campaign included the presence of the crash dummy, Mr. Dummy, the campaign mascot, who promoted safety tips during the SIPAT meeting - Internal Prevention of Industrial Accidents Week. Prior to the development of the civic working day, Mr. Dummy also visited the municipal schools of Campinas and Santo AndrĂŠ to invite children to participate in the campaign, granting them with an informative leaflet with the five safety tips presented in the
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BRAZIL
Bridgestone supports “Bento Quirino Kart of Solidarity”
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A fund collection event to help children and families in the Campinas region
Bridgestone Brazil supported the achievement of the social working day called “100 Year Kart of Solidarity”, organized by the day-care center Bento Quirino in the city of Nova Odessa. This activity included two important events. On May 31st, they held the official drawing for the World of KWC (Kart World Championship); while the 1st of June, they held the qualifying rounds of the novices and the “Kart of Solidarity”, which gathered experienced competitors who competed to
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participate in this championship. The event “Kart of Solidarity” is part of the calendar of events in commemoration of the 100 year anniversary of the Bento Quirino Institution, for which part of the funds collected during these sports activities, will be utilized to help children and families in the region of Campinas. Likewise, 20 Bridgestone associates in Campinas, selected by a drawing, also participated in the race that was held the 1st of June.
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CHILE
Road Safety in Schools
The program “Road Safety goes to School” was held in Chile for the third consecutive year.
Held by the recognized automobile journalists Mauro Feito (Fox Sports) and Roberto Berasategui (The Nation Daily and Fox Sports), Bridgestone Chile’s program visited on this occasion schools of Ercilla, Boston College, Campania de María and Bradford. More than 1,800 students participated in the educational chats in a didactic and original way, seeking not only to create awareness among the younger children, but also to pass it on to their parents. The series was very well received in all the Chilean institutions visited, and they also received several requests to have it in different schools during 2015.
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United by our people After the fire of Valparaíso, teammates of Bridgestone Chile decided to unite to help a family that has maintained a close link with the company for several years.
“These type of events do not leave us indifferent”, said Sergio Nakashima, General Manager of Bridgestone Chile, who traveled to Valparaíso to bring the donation to the troubled family. Thanks to the support of the associates, they managed to acquire several of the necessary materials for the reconstruction of the dwelling that had been destroyed by the fire, considered the largest in the history of Chile.
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CHILE
Mother’s Day in Bridgestone Chile The company organized a discussion in the Hotel W addressed to the female public held by the sports doctor Caesar Kalazich. Discussion centered on the importance of doing physical activity and abandoning the sedentary lifestyle, the event was attended by more than 40 women among whom were teammates of Bridgestone Chile, clients, end users and suppliers.
Caesar Kalazich, Coordinator, Medical Unit of the Club Sports Catholic University, also expressed the advantages that physical exercise offers, in addition to the importance of promoting it to younger women.
An emotional Father’s Day Bridgestone Chile celebrated Father’s Day in a very special way. Teammates celebrated the Father’s Day with the development of an emotional video, where their children recorded loving messages and affectionate greetings. The celebration took place at Bridgestone Chile headquarters with special appetizers. Fathers received a free gift at the end the event.
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The encounter started with a breakfast and ended with a successful monologue given by Roberto Nicolini as part of the attention given to Bridgestone guests.
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Bridgestone in the program “El Tacómetro”
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Bridgestone together with LAN on Father’s Day
The recognized Chilean program transmitted by open television and cable, presented company commercials.
Through four informative commercials, the company was presented in the program during June. Expressing different themes, the first of the commercials focused on the purchase experience, the second one on the history of the tire, the third on road safety and the fourth on environmental issues and the different actions that Bridgestone has taken to generate community awareness.
The aeronautical company organized a fair for its employees and Bridgestone part of it. Because of Father’s Day, LAN Chile held at its corporate facility and at Arturo Merino Benítez Airport,
a fair where different companies also convened. Bridgestone attended such fair displaying its products and services to all the attendees, supporting LAN Chile event.
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COLOMBIA
Live your passion‌ Play the Bridgestone Amateur Cup From April 26th to June 8th, the launching of the Bridgestone Amateur Cup took place, a tournament of Soccer Five, that took place simultaneously in the three cities of Bogota, in the fields of Real Madrid in Soccer 8; Cali in El Diablo Azteca; and MedellĂn in the Aristigol. The winners received magnificent prizes. First place received USD $900, with the possibility to participate in
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the final match of the Amateur Cup, taking place days before the final of the Bridgestone Libertadores Cup. In turn, the second place received USD $500. The official announcement was made through social networks, with the participation of the fans who sent a video of their team highlighting some of the following values of the Bridgestone brand: Safety, Passion, Performance and Excellence.
The participants that showed the greatest creativity in their video were selected to participate in the Bridgestone Amateur Cup, with a total of 10 teams per city. The winning team from Colombia that competed in the Bridgestone Amateur Cup match, and attended the final game of the Bridgestone Liberators Cup, was the Plantilla Real F.C. of Bogota.
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Celebrating 20 Years of Distribution with ‘Termillantas’
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Super Promotion “Safe Travel with Bridgestone”
All tires for all paths
20 years ago, in the city of Ubaté Cundinamarca in Colombia, brothers Guillermo and Edilberto Guerrero Torres founded the company Termillantas, which currently has eleven locations, distributed in the cities of Barranquilla, Ubaté, Zipaquirá, Villavicencio, Medellín, Ibagué, Bogota and Bucaramanga. Termillantas offers in its Service Centers a wide range of tires for all kinds of terrain, in addition to other automobile services such as tire mounts, alignment, balance and rotation. For approximately 17 years, they have sold Bridgestone tire desgins M729, R192, R297 and L355 to carriers. Termillantas has approximately 3,000 clients in the country, specializing in the bus and heavy truck sector, offering their users an extensive catalog of tires in all of its locations throughout the country. Recently Termillantas celebrated their 20th anniversary with the inauguration of a new location in the city of Bucaramanga, hosting an event in the Dann Carlton Hotel, to which clients from the city were invited.
Bridgestone Colombia, committed to the community’s Road Safety, asked drivers to enjoy their holidays safely during the season of Holy Week, check tires before traveling and follow safety tips promoted by the brand, taking care of their safety, and that of family and friends, insuring a happy trip. And for the motorists that needed to change their tires, they received a Super Promotion, upon buying a set of 4 Bridgestone car or van tires, acquiring completely free of charge a complete Road Security Kit that included a case with wedges to block the vehicle, a flashlight, a first-aid kit, cones and an extinguisher.
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ECUADOR
Bridgestone educates drivers in Santo Domingo
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The Think Before You Drive campaign took place in Santo Domingo to generate user awareness on the importance of the correct tire pressure.
On May 7th, in the Emproservis service center facilities, in Santo Domingo in Los Tsรกchilas city, Ecuador, Bridgestone started campaign activities for Think Before Driving, a project of Social Responsibility with the goal of making vehicle owners and drivers understand the main risk factors that can cause serious or fatal accidents. Specialized Personnel from Bridgestone and Emproservis provided free tire pressure checks, making users aware of the correct steps to take before starting their trip. In addition, they received, completely free of charge, the Bridgestone Security Kit.
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COSTA RICA
Bridgestone strengthened the lines of the “Super team in the region� Every two years Bridgestone of Costa Rica has its Sales Convention for the region. Therefore, the first week of June in 2014, the event took place in Aruba which refined the guidelines on how the company is going to handle itself and its trading partners in the next biennium and what strategies they are going to promote in order to remain the leader of the tire industry.
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Scoreboard Moves Vision and strategies for the next two years of work were the main topics addressed through a series of presentations. As if it were a series of scoreboard moves, the Bridgestone team presented to the convention attendees the tactical movements to be employed by the company in order to perform the best in their field; some of these are: • Continued work of Directors of Operations • New SAP 6 system and B-Connection • Improvements in manufacturing • Sustainability Efforts / Social Responsibility • Marketing Efforts Two activities very valued during the convention were the visit of Mike Martini, President of Original Equipment, Bridgestone Americas, as well as the expert in social networks and marketing, Sergio Restrepo.
For the first time, they held a meeting with representatives of the 25 markets of interest of Bridgestone throughout Central America, the Caribbean and especially Colombia and Ecuador. All the basic themes revolved around soccer, World Cup Fever, the Time to Perform campaigns and the sponsorship of the Bridgestone Libertadores Cup. On the whole, more than 300 people gathered, all guided by a common purpose, which was to continue to be the “Super team in the region”, a slogan designed especially for this meeting. This, without doubt, was an excellent opportunity to share with the dealers’ network a series of strategies for the coming years, both from the manufacturer’s point of view and in the commercial and sustainability aspect.
Martini emphasized the new trends in the automobile market and trends regarding original equipment tires. For his part, Restrepo spoke about the present and future of digital marketing and how people now use different channels to search for products, advice or assistance at the time of purchase, and hence the need to have web page and social network management.
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Bridgestone wears ‘Essential Costa Rica” In the month of June, Bridgestone received notification of having complied with the requirements set forth in the licensing protocol for the use of the country brand, on behalf of the Foreign Trade Promoter of Costa Rica (PROCOMER). “The brand ‘Essential Costa Rica’ is an additional endorsement of our standards of quality and commitment to society; which makes us dignified representatives of this beautiful country,” said Oscar Rodriguez, President of Bridgestone of Costa Rica.
various products during an 18 month period. Among the products that can wear the distinction are Firehawk 900 tires, Firestone Destination TO/T and Destination RVT; as well as the Bridgestone Potenza, Turanza and Dueler lines of tires.
After obtaining the user license for the Costa Rican brand, Bridgestone will be able to utilize this stamp in
This achievement not only backs up the quality and good performance of the tires produced by the com-
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pany, but also testifies to an ethical commitment that has distinguished the company in terms of operating under high standards of sustainability, in which the productive activity is based on three fundamental pillars: environmental balance, social well-being and economic development; all focused on the consolidation of a better society.
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Bridgestone celebrates Environment Day As part of the events celebrating Environment Day, Bridgestone of Costa Rica undertook a series of efforts with its partners and with the general public. Fifteen volunteers worked on the construction of trash cans and adornments, using waste tires. This activity was conducted for the benefit of a school within the capital and used more than 40 tires in the process.
ded information to visitors about the environmentally friendly production process and especially on waste disposal, which can be a good practice for all households.
In addition, the company participated in the Environmental Fair organized by the Ministry of the Costa Rican Environment, and through a beautiful stand, provi-
With these initiatives, Bridgestone continues making its mark and positioning itself as one of the major socially responsible enterprises of the country.
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Imagination is the limit when it comes to reusing tires
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Giving the tires a new life for the service and well being of the community is what Bridgestone achieved by means of the “B-Happy” program, which gives an alternative use for the scrap tires for the children’s benefit by creating children’s playgrounds and recreation areas.
The program “B-Happy” is one of the initiatives that Bridgestone has prompted to reduce the impact of the life cycle of its product, as well as to support the fight against the dengue fever, promoting a correct and creative disposition of the scrap tires. The basic idea of the project consists of creating play equipment or recreation areas using scrap tires. This offers the country a new model of tire recycling that enables the recouperation of recreational space in the community and the protection of the environment by eliminating scrap tires from vacant lots, rivers and other places. These play areas have been created in Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala and soon in El Salvador, with the idea not only to promote a healthier environment for the population, but to offer the possibility of generating public space that will improve the quality of life of people.
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Bridgestone volunteers remove 736 tires from the Tárcoles River in Costa Rica This is the fourth cleaning organized by Bridgestone Costa Rica in the Tárcoles River. In 2007 the company collected 1,000 tires; in 2011, 1,800 and in 2012 they removed 2,450 from the basin. The company annually holds a series of collection campaigns which manage to collect an average of 2,000 tires. In April, and with the support of more than 50 Bridgestone volunteers from Costa Rica, 736 scrap tires were removed from the Rio Grande in Tárcoles.
lly covers five provinces: San José, Alajuela, Heredia, Cartago y Puntarenas.
This river nourishes the waters of the mangrove swamp of Guacalillo, a zone of 370 hectare that is very valuable for biodiversity, which serves as a refuge for 300 species of identified birds.
Besides the Bridgestone volunteers, the Garabito Municipality and FUNDELLANTAS participated in the effort. With the tires collected they devised tire structures that can be used for erosion control or retaining wall construction, among others functions.
In this way, Bridgestone seeks to sensitize to the population to the responsibility of caring for the environment and preventing scrap tires from ending up in areas of risk such as rivers and vacant lots. The Rio Grande of Tárcoles is located in Costa Rica, in the Central sector and West of the Central Valley and extends itself to the side of the Pacific, which partia-
Group work
Bridgestone Costa Rica, in alliance with the Department of Health, has prompted the fulfillment of executive decree 33745, making it the responsibility of the manufacturer, importer and distributor to correctly dispose of the tires that have completed their life cycle.
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MEXICO
New plant of Polyurethane Foam in Guanajuato, Mexico. Bridgestone Corporation carried out the groundbreaking ceremony for the new plant in Mexico, which will be devoted to the manufacture of polyurethane foam for car seats. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on May 29, in the presence of Mr. Miguel Marquez Marquez, Governor of the State of Guanajuato; Mr. Lorenzo Licea Rojas, Municipal President of Apaseo El Grande; as well as representatives of the industrial park and managers of the construction company. In addition, senior managers of the Bridgestone Group were present, accompanying Mr. Teruo Iwai, President of Bridgestone Automotive Products of Mexico, S.A. of C.V. (BAMX), a company that will operate the new plant. Daniel Benvenuti, President of Bridgestone of Mexico, was involved in this important event. During the
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ceremony, representatives signed the work commencement plaque, foreseeing prosperity for the new plant. In Mexico they visualize a continuous growth in automobile production due to its strategic geographic location, as well as a projected increase in domestic demand. That is why the Bridgestone Corporation elected Guanajuato as headquarters for its new plant. To meet the growth of demand in the automotive industry in the near future and long-term, the Bridgestone Group will continue to improve its global supply system to appropriately satisfy their customers with high quality products.
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Participation at the 2014 Expo Golf The Bridgestone Golf Division in Mexico participated for the third consecutive year at the 2014 Expo Golf, an event that took place in June at the World Trade Center in Mexico City. Through an innovative exhibition space, the company introduced the entire line of Bridgestone Golf products, such as balls, clubs, clothes and line accessories. Taking advantage of this annual forum, the brand launched the new range of True Balance Putters before consumers, distributors and industry leaders. This new technology developed by Bridgestone increases the feeling of alignment of the club head while maintaining a point of balance lower than 5 inches from the base of the putter, which allows for better performance with a freer swing and better directionality towards the goal. “Expo Golf is an event that allows us to be even closer to the interests of the Mexican golfers. It is an annual event attended by the main suppliers of products and services related to Golf in Mexico, so it’s a great opportunity to show the quality and differentiation of our products and the great performance they provide to end users,,” said Eduardo Ochoa, Director of Consumer Sales and Marketing Division of Bridgestone Mexico.
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MEXICO
Adrenaline and rock in the first driving event of “Ven y vive Bridgestone”
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Speed, adrenaline and rock were the ingredients for the first Live Bridgestone Rock that was held on May 31 in the Ecocentro Exposition Center in the city of Queretaro, having invited close to 180 consumers and car lovers, who had the opportunity to test the Bridgestone tires and close a big day with the grand finale of a concert by the rock band, Fobia. The experience of pure adrenaline involved running cars with professional drivers through six tests and pushing the use and power of the tires to the limit through extreme conditions. “This is the first time that Bridgestone invited the public to our driving event; it is an experience that we were ‘testing’ and we have seen great results. The idea is to show the public how the tire acts at its highest capacity, how it responds to speed, braking, dirt, and finally see its performance in this variety of terrain,” explained Daniel Gonzalez, Manager of Trade Marketing of Bridgestone Mexico, who also said that the event was previously exclusive to staff, suppliers and vendors for the brand. One of the most exciting tests was thr ‘Off Road’ with the Dueler tire, with larger tread, which have more grip. This is an all-terrain tire that can be used on asphalt, as well as dirt. Therefore, we tested their behavior and traction work through a very steep slope, on rocks, mud and put them on an incline of up to 30.7 degrees. It is a tire of great durability and strength, which also allows fuel savings.
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Introduction of Management Plan of Used Tires in Mexico In 2013, the standard NOM-161-SEMARNAT-2011 was enacted in Mexico by the Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) that establishes the guidelines for the special handling of waste, such as tires at the end of their life; for which Bridgestone, through its Department of Environment, Health and Safety began to work in response to this initiative. In this sense, the company proposed to create a Management Plan for scrap tires in conjunction with the National Chamber of the Rubber Industry (CNIH); the National Association of Tire Distributors and Retread Plants (ANDELLAC); and the National Association of Tire Importers (ANILLAC), which was presented to SEMARNAT. Bridgestone, through its subsidiary
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Bridgestone Neumaticos de Monterrey, S. A of CV. (BSMR), led the signing ceremony of the Management Plan of Waste Tires in the state of Nuevo Leon, implementing in May activities in the area to ensure the recovery and reuse of 100% of scrap tires. Subsequently, the Bridgestone plant located in Cuernavaca, Morelos, started the activities in the state, using waste tire collection operations, which took place on June 5th
in celebration of World Environment Day. The objectives of the plan proposed by Bridgestone include: avoiding environmental pollution, public awareness, working together with the authorities to facilitate the collection and the storage of waste and eliminate the sources of unsanitary conditions that affect the community in general; all with the aim of achieving better use of these resources.
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Bridgestone and Bandag are Recognized as Socially Responsible Companies in Mexico Bridgestone of Mexico has been worthy of the distinctive ESR 2014 [Socially Responsible Company, awarded by the Mexican Center for Philanthropy (CEMEFI)] award for the eighth year; while its sister company, Bandag of Mexico, received it for the first time. Both companies have complied with the standards established in the strategic areas of corporate social responsibility.
To obtain the distinctive ESR, participating companies are submitted to a diagnostic process, supported by documentation in four areas: quality of life in the company, business ethics, links between the company and the community, as well as care and preservation of the environment. “For Bridgestone, being socially responsible forms the essence of our phi-
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losophy. This belief extends beyond the company, because we know that for the company to be successful it should also contribute to the society. This requires a sustainable growth with the objective of providing a better environment for future generations in every sense,� said Daniel Benvenuti, President of Bridgestone of Mexico. This distinction is the result of the
constant work within Bridgestone and Bandag, which strive to take further actions and efforts to provide a real improvement for Mexican society.
Photo 1. Daniel Benvenuti, Presiden of Bridgestone Mexico. Photo 2. Manuel Calzada, Director of Bandag Mexico.
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Volunteer Actions Bridgestone Mexico, conscious of their commitment to strengthening the actions that would improve the life in the communities where they operate, and in their quality as a socially responsible company, launched the 2014 Volunteer Plan that focuses on 3 strategic lines of action: (1) Road Safety, (2) Environment and (3) Community Support. During the first phase of deployment from March to June of 2014, they performed the following actions: Road Safety: Volunteer actions in elementary schools with the purpose of educating children on road safety in a fun way, emphasizing topics such as seat belt use, decreasing distractions, traffic signs and tire care, among others. Environment: In commemoration of World Environment Day, they implemented a day in elementary school with the purpose of educating children about the environment in a fun way, with workshops on recycling, climate change, pollution and waste reduction, the greenhouse effect, consumption habits, etc. Likewise, in Cuernavaca they had a used tire
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collection day called “Llantaton� through two Bridgestone Collection Centers, and a reforestation event in the city of Leon with associates of Bandag Mexico, who, along with their families, contributed to improving the planet. In this first phase, they reported participation of 209 Bridgestone volunteers, benefiting 451 children in 4 elementary schools in Mexico City,
Cuernavaca and Leon; planting 100 trees in the city of Leon; and the collection of 1,748 waste tires in Cuernavaca. All these actions add up to a total of 554 hours of community support. The volunteers of Bridgestone in Mexico will continue transforming their lives and the lives of other people, for which the following volunteer efforts will be made for the second half of the year.
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Educational workshops and new children’s drawing competition Bridgestone Mexico continues the deployment of its road safety campaign with great success in the version directed especially at children, the future drivers and great parental advisors. Think Before You Drive Kids is presented in public and private elementary schools, with a fun show that explains to the children how they should behave when traveling in a car and what the safety rules are that they must be aware of, as well as tips and general road information. In an entertaining way, children are assigned the role of “supervisors” to make sure that their parents use their seat belts, do not
use their mobile phone while driving and comply with the normal guidelines for safe driving. “The promotion of community road safety is a fundamental part of Bridgestone, for which we also focus activities towards children to turn them into the main spokespersons and activists for the adults in the field of road safety,” said Amelia Vives, Manager of
Corporate Relations and Social Responsibility of Bridgestone Mexico. This year, in addition to inviting children to participate in these educational workshops, they have invited future drivers to participate in a children’s drawing competition, where they can express what they have learned. The work will be evaluated by criteria such as originality, message, creativity, neatness and color application.
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Bridgestone Firestone celebrates 60 years in Venezuela The company strengthens its commitment to the country Bridgestone Firestone Venezolana celebrated 60 years of development in the country confirming the commitment to its staff and customers in Venezuela, with a view to build together a long path toward a future filled with success. The anniversary program was spread over an entire week at the company’s premises, which were specially decorated with banners, labels, and balloons with the corporate colors. There was a lunch with a Creole menu and a show of artistic talents starring Cesar Tarazona, a worker who is also a singer of Llanera music, and the har-
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monious voices of the Bridgestone Vocal Ensemble. Workers received awards for having from five up to 35 years of service, while those who stand out for their merits and dedication, were accredited as examples of the Bridgestone Essence, Volunteer of the Year, among others. The children of the employees visited the facilities to be part of the history of the company and hand-painted a mural that will endure throughout time. With these activities, the organization confirms that the main ingredient of its success is the talent of its people.
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Tree plantings to commemorate environment day Environmental education has become an important focus for the company In Venezuela, the Bridgestone volunteers commemorated World Environment Day with special days of planting trees in the center of the country: in the school Julio Garmendia of Los Guayos municipality, and on the Paseo Monumental Historico Campo de Carabobo. In both cases, the reforestation was accompanied by educational talks about the importance of taking care of the vegetation and the ecosystem in general. In the anniversary program, they also
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held a collection of recyclable materials through Firestone Club. The commitment to the planet is constant, which is why the company maintains an alliance with the Fundana organization, to deliver used printer cartridges, which are recycled to raise funds for social causes. In its plant, located in the state of Carabobo, they also invest efforts in reducing the carbon footprint, reducing water consumption and waste production.
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Bridgestone leaves traces on the environment, the community and sports With a view to continue on a path towards a future filled with success Bridgestone Firestone Venezolana arrived at its 60 years of presence in the country and wanted to reciprocate their support for the society, with various activities aimed at the environment, the community and sports. In the framework of the celebration, the company has delivered nearly 200 kilograms of plastic caps that
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during the past few months were deposited by the workers in containers identified and located in several areas of the organization. They were delivered to the foundation “Tapas por Vidas [Caps for Lives]�, which was responsible for selling this material to be recycled and help pay for the medical treatment of children with cancer.
To promote its social commitment, Bridgestone volunteers donated to the mothers working in soup kitchens of the Dividendo Voluntario for the community and the Caritas organization. While in the field of sports, they carried out qualifying matches for the Gold Cup in the category of little league baseball in conjunction with the Criollitos Corporation in Venezuela.
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Bridgestone adds passion to the soccer world in Venezuela A way to share and support the development of the sport As part of the strategies to generate greater closeness with consumers, Bridgestone joined the fever of the World Cup Brazil 2014 through activities that reward the fanatics of Venezuela with fun gifts, such as a ball inspired by the design of a branded tire. One of them was World Trivia, which consisted of a visit to establishments of Caracas and Valencia where they transmitted the world games, so that attendees could answer three questions related to the world of soccer and participate for prizes. One of the initiatives, in the digital domain, was “The Longest Goal”, where the participants had to post to the website www.bridgestonefutbol.com a 15-second video celebrating the goal of their preferred Latin American team. In the portal, there were also available several applications such as the “Wall of Passion”, “I T.D.” (Technical Director) and “Promises Factory”, which tested the fanaticism of the followers of this discipline.
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