NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Oct. 3, 2006) — Shojiro Ishibashi, the founder
of Bridgestone Corporation, parent company of Bridgestone Americas
Holding, Inc., today will be inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame.
Ishibashi (1889-1976) established Bridgestone Tire Co. Ltd. in 1931 to
manufacture and market tires in Japan; 75 years later, Bridgestone
Corporation is the largest tire and rubber company in the world.
Hiroshi Ishibashi, Shojiro’s grandson and current corporate auditor of
Bridgestone Corporation, will be accepting the award on his late
grandfather’s behalf at the ceremony held today in Dearborn, Mich.
Ishibashi had a dream to supply his nation’s new automobile industry
with tires developed and manufactured with Japanese capital and
expertise. He leapt from crafting shoes to creating tires in the 1930s.
Ishibashi founded Bridgestone with the cornerstone belief that
companies producing quality products and providing customer service
will have the most success. In fact, his mantra was, “serving society
with superior quality.” Today, that mantra still resonates through
Bridgestone’s teammates’ actions, its products and the company’s
corporate philosophy.
Other 2006 inductees into the Automotive Hall of Fame include: Nuccio
Bertone, vehicle designer; Dale Earnhardt, racecar driver; Bill France
Jr., NASCAR chief; Wayne Huizenga, AutoNation founder; Arjay Miller,
former Ford president; and Bruno Sacco, designer.
In addition to Ishibashi’s induction into the Automotive Hall of Fame,
Bridgestone Corporation has received numerous accolades. A few of these
include: earning the prestigious Deming Prize for exemplary quality
control in 1968 and Shojiro Ishibashi’s induction into the Japan
Automotive Hall of Fame in 2002.
Ishibashi was a pioneer in the Japanese tire industry. His marketing
innovations began with creating the name of his tire company, reversing
the English language translation of his name “stone bridge” to create a
more global sounding company name, “Bridgestone.”
The Automotive Hall of Fame, located in Dearborn, Mich., is the only
industry-wide means to honor the men and women of the global motor
vehicle and related industries. It is dedicated to preserving the
history of mobility by celebrating the creativity, toil and genius of
the individual. The Automotive Hall of Fame is both a visitor
attraction and an educational resource for inspiring others to higher
levels of achievement in their own work and lives.
To contribute to a discussion on
Tire Maker Recognized As Industry Great click here
