Special Ceremony Recognizes Firestone Service Centres

It was a time of celebration and recognition inside the Bridgestone/Firestone Canada Inc. (BFCA) warehouse today, as Firestone Service Centre locations were honoured for their first-place ranking in the 2004 Canadian Customer Commitment Study(SM) conducted by J.D. Power and Associates.
Canadian consumers listed the Firestone Service Centres operating under the retail trade names Firestone Tire + Automotive Centres and GCR Tire Centres, as number one in the category of “Highest Overall Customer Satisfaction Among Service Providers” in the study led by the global marketing information and research firm. This is the second time in five years that the Firestone Service Centres have garnered the first place position according to
the study. The Customer Commitment Study(SM), which is based on responses from 17,700 owners of 2- to 12-year-old vehicles, found that Firestone performs particularly well in the areas of the appointment/check-in process, service
advisor, work quality and customer orientation.
In tribute to this triumph, Richard D. Cooper, Executive Director of J.D. Power and Associates, formally presented the award to Jim Schmidt,General Manager of Consumer Tire Sales for BFCA. Mr. Schmidt accepted the award on behalf of all Firestone Services Centres across Canada. BFCA will be recognizing the achievements by issuing trophies to each of the Firestone Tire+ Automotive Centres and GCR Tire Centres.
“We are delighted to receive this accolade from J.D. Power and Associates,” said Jim Schmidt. “The staff at Firestone Tire + Automotive Centres and GCR Tire Centres work extremely hard to provide customers with the utmost service, and this outstanding response from customers is a testament to the fact our superior service is being recognized. It is clear, the Firestone brand is back. We are grateful to our customers for bestowing us with this
honour, and to both our independently and company operated stores for their continued top-notch relationship with the clientele.”
There are approximately 75 Firestone Tire + Automotive Centres and another 43 GCR Tire Centres locations across Canada, providing a wide range of automotive services from retail tire sales to automotive repair services, including steering, suspension, drivetrain, engine, and heating and cooling. The Firestone Tire + Automotive Centres are independently owned and operated dealerships operated under the authority of BFCA. GCR Tire Centres locations
are owned by BFCA.
Mississauga-based Bridgestone / Firestone Canada Inc. (BFCA) is an affiliate of Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT). BFCA and Nashville, Tennessee-based BFNT are subsidiaries of Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc., whose parent company, Bridgestone Corporation, is the world’s largest tire and rubber company. BFNT and BFCA develops, manufactures and markets Bridgestone, Firestone, Dayton and associate and private brand tires. The companies are focused on wholesale and original equipment markets, supplying passenger, light truck, commercial vehicle, off-road, agricultural and other tires to its customers in North America.