The largest commercial fleet win ever for Bridgestone, it will see the manufacturer supplying tyres for FirstGroup’s entire UK fleet, along with around 80% of its US and Canadian vehicles.
Bridgestone won the deal after demonstrating its flexibility to meet specific fleet needs – most vehicles will run on UAP-001 tyres, with different tread patterns for each market.
“This agreement will provide the flexibility that we need to manage a huge fleet of vehicles on both sides of the Atlantic, including our local buses, coach services, and school transportation,” said Glen Lovett, group procurement manager for FirstGroup.
Greg Ward, Bridgestone’s commercial sales director, described it as “a hugely significant” deal.
“To win the contract, we needed to demonstrate our value and ability to deliver on a global level in order to stave off stiff competition from a rival premium tyre manufacturer,” he added.
Bridgestone says its ability to act as one global team was another key factor.
Pictured (L-R) are: First Bus managing director Giles Fearnley; Busway supervisor David Holt; Bridgestone north region MD Robin Shaw; and Bridgestone’s commercial sales director Greg Ward.