Who Owns Firestone Tires?

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Who Owns Firestone Tires?

Famous for superior durability, reliability, and robust design, with designs for all kinds of driving challenges, Firestone tires remain a popular choice among drivers. Unlike some, let’s say, higher reputable brands, this company strictly puts focus on daily commuting and overall practicality. It’s a manufacturer that cares about ordinary drivers and tends to make products that ensure consistent performance and extended lifespan while remaining affordable and cost-effective. 

With such a design approach, this brand managed to position itself long ago, in the niche of quality tires that offer good value for money. Competitive pricing has always been one of its key advantages but unlike some direct rivals, price-vise, this company never compromised on safety and performance. That’s how it ensures a beloved position among the masses, as an epitome of budget-friendly reliability. 

But, who is behind such a business approach? Who owns Firestone tires? How it managed to turn this company into a global player.

Who Owns Firestone Tires?

First and foremost, let’s give an answer to the main question – Firestone is owned by Bridgestone Corporation, the famous Japanese tire maker, a major global player. The Japanese company acquired Firestone long ago, back in 1988. Back in the day, the Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. was formed and the company gained momentum to expand much faster. 

Because, the Tokyo-based company, one of the largest tire and rubber makers in the world, wanted to expand to America back in the day, and Firestone was a perfect opportunity. But the benefits were mutual. While Bridgestone gained a presence in the new market, Firestone got significant backup and support, both in terms of the development and distribution of its products. But before we get on that, let’s say  a few words about the company’s history:

Brief History

Firestone Tire and Rubber Company was founded in 1900, but Harvey Firestone. And, thanks to Harvey’s enthusiasm and innovation, it quickly became a pioneer in the industry. It all started with a clear vision to make rubber tires for cars and just after a few years, the first major collaboration was established. Namely, back in 1906, Firestone became the lead tire supplier of Ford Motor Company. Moreover, it was one of the major suppliers, responsible for rubbering one of the most iconic cars of all time, the Model T.

The company was in big expansion, so already by the 1930s, it significantly expanded its offer, with tires designed for trucks and all kinds of agricultural equipment. Then, WWII came and once again, this company had a major role, with its significant contribution in manufacturing military tires and all kinds of other essential rubber products.

After the war, the company had a steady expansion and we didn’t see any radical turn until 1988. As mentioned, that was the year of transformation, because the Japanese giant company, Bridgestone, acquired Firestone. As mentioned, the benefits were mutual. From Firestone’s position, this ensures much faster expansion. Firestone was catapulted into a new era, the era of global presence, thanks to Bridgestone’s pretty much endless resources.

Brief History


Benefits of Bridgestone Ownership

As we describe one of the largest tire producers globally, it is confidently fair that Firestone has substantially gained advantages from its ownership under Bridgestone Corporation after being purchased in 1988. There are many benefits and opportunities that have emerged as part of Bridgestone’s corporate culture, and some of them include:

  • Bridgestone Global Resources and Reach: By far, Bridgestone is among the largest tire and rubber companies worldwide. Due to the fact that Firestone was a subsidiary, it had virtually unlimited access to most of Bridgestone’s resources. These imply enormous technological advances, research and developmental capabilities, and, last but not least, a global distribution network. 
  • Technological Advances: Perhaps most importantly, Bridgestone’s constant research and development ensured the continual progress of tire technology. Given that, we can say that Firestone must have greatly profited from shared innovations, making its products more sustainable, safer, and more efficient than it would have been possible independently. 
  • Economies of Scale: As a part of a larger corporate structure that is Bridgestone, Firestone also enjoys economies of scale. It means that its manufacturing, procurement, and distribution are more cost-efficient, making it more competitive and able to keep the cost of its products lower. 
  • Market expansion: As mentioned before, Bridgestone is a global company, and its global reach likely allowed Firestone to enter new emerging markets and capture additional market shares on existing ones. Also, this collaboration strengthened both brands’ positions, increasing the number of products and the variety of needs they could cater to. 
  • Financial Stability: Last but not least, as a part of a solid, well-established enterprise, Firestone ones an extensive set of financial instruments. It had an opportunity to invest in long-term projects and infrastructure and support itself during times of crisis. 

Firestone Tires on Today’s Market

Today, Firestone is positioned as a value-oriented brand or, as some like to say, a mid-range manufacturer. It manufactures products that are designed to offer a good balance between quality and affordability, with a broad range of customers in mind. 

Thanks to the Bridgestone ownership,  Firestone managed to expand globally over the last few decades. For that reason, it holds a significant share of the global market. Still, it’s important to keep in mind that car figures vary from market to market, due to factors like regional preferences and competition.

And when we talk about competition, its mid-range position means that it competes both with premium and budget-oriented manufacturers. On one hand, there are brands like Michelin and Goodyear, famous for high-end technology and excellent performance. On the other hand, there are brands that focus on affordability. So, what Firestone does is occupy a little bit of both worlds, while its balance between performance, balance, and cost-effectiveness makes it a natural choice among a pretty wide range of buyers.

When we talk about consumer perception, user reviews are generally very positive. The brand is recognized for its reliability and affordability, though we have to say there were a few recalls and incidents in the past decades. But nevertheless, the brand managed to retain its reputation and ensure a competitive position in the market.

And with today’s competition, which seems tougher than ever, the company manages to remain a relevant player in the markets around the world.

Firestone Tires on Today’s Market


Advantages of Firestone Tires:

  • Affordability: Firestone has historically marketed itself as a brand that offers affordable, yet reliable products. This is likely to appeal to customers who are on a budget.
  • Product range: Firestone sells various kinds of tires, ranging from those designed for passenger cars, trucks, and SUVs to tires for agricultural machinery. This helps the company reach a broad customer base.
  • Recognition and legacy: Firestone has been operating in the tire market for a long time and is a well-recognized brand. Its cooperation with H. Ford and the famous Model T provide the company’s name with some extra points.

Disadvantages of Firestone Tires:

  • Perception: Firestone remains reputable, but it has experienced past events of tire recalls and safety issues. The events may shape the perception of consumers and how they trust the brand. 
  • Competition: Many established and emerging brands of tires have already ventured into the market, making it competitive. Major tire manufacturers come up with various strategies to win a significant market share. 
  • Technology Innovation: The tire industry is an ever-evolving sector, which implies that being up-to-date with technological innovation is key. Some of the competitors may have more resources to undertake research and development to shift the trends.

Firestone Tire Program

Firestone offers a diverse range of tire products catering to various vehicles and applications. Here are some general categories of products typically included in the Firestone tire program:

  • Passenger Car Tires: Firestone also produces tires for a wide range of passenger vehicles. These include sedans and coupes, hatchbacks powering hundreds of millions of words a month. They are often characterized by a balance between comfort, good fuel economy, and high performance.  
  • SUV and Crossover Tires: Additionally, the company produces tires for sport utility vehicles and crossovers. These tires are all-season performers and durable since the vehicles themselves are capable of excellent off-road performance. 
  • Truck Tires: The company offers tires for truck use, including ATs for light trucks and Raptor tires for larger pickup trucks. These tires are heavy all-season all-terrain tires useful for towing, hauling, and going off-road with frequency. 
  • Commercial and Fleet Tires: This company also produces commercial tires for commercial vehicles, including delivery trucks, vans, and buses. This tire is engineered for maximum load weight and frequency use. 
  • Agricultural Tires: Firestone is still in the market of agricultural tires too. This producer manufactures tires for tractors and any other use in farms. This tire is essential because the terrain in which they’re used is not leveled all through. 
  • Performance Tires: These include Firehawk tires that are used for high-performance needs such as sports car driving and other car racing events. 
  • Winter and All-Season Tires: Designed for Sown and other seasons.

Popular Tire Models

  • Firestone Destination LE3: This tire is a bestseller and one of the most popular all-season tires for SUVs and crossovers. LE3 is presented as a tire for a smooth and quiet ride with the opportunity to use it regardless of the season. 
  • Firestone WeatherGrip: Another all-season tire known for its performance in wet and snow. It is a compromise tire with traction and handling characteristics satisfactory for both sedans and trucks, which makes it suitable for different vehicles. 
  • Firestone Destination A/T2: An all-terrain tire for trucks for both off and on high. This is the option that guarantees the ability of the tire to withstand any weather and road or off-road conditions. 
  • Destination X/T: An all-terrain tire for light trucks with a combination of off-high and on-high performance. It is the tires’ versatility that ensures the compromise between two types of driving thanks to a wide range of surfaces. 
  • Firestone Transforce HT2: This is a tire for the highway that is suitable for light trucks and commercial driving. It is both a durable and stable option for a ride on the highway that would be an alternative to my rough tire.