Commitment, Loyalty, and Dedication

At Bridgestone Retail Operations, we make an important Promise to Care – not just for our customers but for one another. This promise is carried out every day by each of our teammates, from those just starting out in entry-level store positions to those in senior leadership roles across the country. A key element of our Promise to Care states: "Bridgestone is a family where all people can build relationships and belong. We invest in training and development and help our teammates to be their best. This is not just a job, but a career built around a passion. We give people a chance to live their dreams."

I take great pride in our demonstrated commitment to nurturing talent and creating pipelines for teammates to grow and develop as leaders and truly live their dreams. The success of this commitment is exemplified by all those who are retiring this year from long careers at BSRO. I want to take this opportunity to recognize a few of them and their outstanding work and unwavering dedication to our industry.

Bill Perkins,?John Huster and Vic Signorelli?share a lot in common. They all began their careers in our stores in the early 1980s at New Jersey Firestone stores just miles apart – Bill in Berkeley Heights, John in Hackensack, and Vic in Jersey City. Bill, John, and Vic were swiftly promoted and became some of the first members of the Managing Partner program. They continued their upward trajectory, holding various Area and District Manager roles. From 2017 until their recent retirements, Bill served as Region Manager for the Mid-Atlantic Region, John served as Region Operations Manager in the New England Region, and Vic served as Division Operations Director for the Northeast Division. Bill credited his success to building trust with his teams, while John said the great teammates, he's worked with made his career so rewarding. Vic said he led with the vision of “ALWAYS doing what we say we are going to do” while having fun doing it.

?

Then there's?Eli Williams, who?began his 30-year BSRO career as a Store Manager at our Franklin Park, IL location. After serving in several District Manager roles and as a Managing Partner, Eli expanded his scope by moving into the Business Systems Department at our then-corporate office in Bloomingdale, IL, in 2012. He eventually transitioned to Nashville, taking on the role of Systems and Technology Manager on the BSRO Retail Operations and Communications team. In this role, Eli provided Point of Sale system support to our 2,200 stores and field leadership teams while working cross-functionally with IT and Operations teams across Bridgestone Americas. His evolution from store manager to corporate leader is a testament to the vast career development opportunities available to our teammates.

Additionally, there’s?Bob Edmunds, who?retired from BSRO as Division Vice President of the Northeast Division after nearly 40 years with the business. He began his career as a Retail Sales Associate and, like Bill and John, was one of the first members of the Managing Partners program. Bob continued to rise through the ranks including roles as District and Area Manager. His storied career culminated in his final role as DVP as he oversaw four regions and more than 500 stores. His career allowed him to experience the entire Bridgestone organization's breadth from a strategy and people perspective. Bob's humility, passion, and pride in his team's collective efforts made him an invaluable and trusted leader.

These five leaders are just a few of the many retirees who collectively represent the best of our business. Their years of service and unwavering loyalty to BSRO remind me that our people-first culture creates solid continuity. Their career journeys are examples of the unending pipeline of opportunities for our teammates, even those just beginning their careers in the automotive care industry. Most importantly, they embody the spirit of our Promise to Care.

As the next generation of young professionals join our company, they will walk into successful environments shaped by these incredible leaders. They will stay with us because of our expansive career and growth opportunities, beautifully demonstrated by this group of retirees. Eventually, they'll have the chance to also retire with us after years of teaching and leading the generation following in their footsteps - just like Bill, John, Vic, Eli, and Bob did.

Thank you to each of you and the many other teammates whose contributions will continue to leave a lasting legacy for many years. We thank you for living your dreams with us at BSRO!