Bridgestone is a global company that since its founding has had a clear mission, Serving Society with Superior Quality. The Bridgestone Latin America North region, with less than four years of being constituted, seeks to consolidate itself as a leader in a broad market that, geographically, extends through Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, Colombia and Ecuador.
The company celebrated several milestones in 2017, including 50 years of operations in Costa Rica with a tire manufacturing facility in Belén, while the Bandag brand celebrated its 60th anniversary with the launch of a new image.
Today, our priority is to keep moving in the strengthening of our processes and sales efficiencies and synergies, while applying our solid corporate culture to standardizing the competitive advantage and knowledge acquired in each of the markets and countries in which we operate.
We have applied different management approaches to our stakeholder relations by market type and segment, in an effort to provide integrated solutions that improve mobility, support people and communities, and promote environmental stewardship through an optimized service cycle that adapts to our consumers’ changing needs.
Bridgestone's social responsibility commitment, Our Way to Serve, provides a framework for the way we do business, develop products and interact with communities and customers. This commitment is based on three Priority Areas: Mobility, People and Environment; and in six Management Fundamentals that comprehensively favor the fulfillment of our mission.
We celebrate the
60 anniversary of Bandag by launching a brand new image.
At Bridgestone, we innovate in both product development and internal mechanisms to optimize our operation, as we focus on caring for the environment and providing unparalleled customer service experiences. Examples of this are the products developed with differentiating technologies such as the Run-Flat tire and ECOPIA EP422 PLUS that today position us at the forefront of tire manufacturing due to the quality, comfort, safety and environmental care that characterize our products.
We also serve the community that welcomes us in each of the countries where we operate through our volunteer programs. During 2017, we benefited 124,556 people, thanks to initiatives that were developed with the aim of building a society with greater knowledge of road safety, as well as promoting a more inclusive education and healthier communities.
It is essential in our actions to support development and equity among our employees, as an integral part of our sustainability. According to the 2016 Great Place to Work® study, 91% of our employees in Mexico are proud to work at Bridgestone, while in Costa Rica they placed us in the third position among the best companies to work for, in the category of 100 to 1,000 workers.
We value the trust that each collaborator gives us and we are convinced that training is the best mechanism to guarantee their integral development. Therefore, in 2017 we invested 963,318 USD in regional training with an average of 81 hours of training per employee.
Protecting the environment is part of our Priority Areas; that is why the water consumption in the plants of Cuernavaca, Mexico and Belén, Costa Rica, was reduced by 5.6% and 0.5%, respectively. In addition, we seek to make our operation more efficient, we greatly value resources and operate in harmony with nature. So in 2017, we planted 3,600 trees and collected 198 tonnes of waste tires for their correct disponsal.
124,556
people were benefitted in 2017
through our volunteering programs.
In 2017
3,600 trees were planted
and 198 tonnes of waste tires collected for their correct disponsal.
At Bridgestone we anticipate, prevent and mitigate the risks. In 2016, a renovated Corporate Program for Business Continuity and Crisis Management was launched, which was implemented in 2017 after the earthquakes in Mexico and the passage of Nate hurricane in Costa Rica. Both natural disasters were managed under the protocols established to guarantee the protection of people, property and business continuity.
There are challenges in alignment with the sustainable development of each country, which the new governments of Mexico, Colombia and the Central American countries must work on. At Bridgestone, we will continue to act as a responsible corporate citizen to contribute to the development of our markets, through active participation in associations in our sector.
Every year, this report supports our commitment to build a more inclusive, sustainable and resilient society, in absolute congruence with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.
I invite you to learn more about Bridgestone's sustainable performance and principles, as well as our contributions to enhancing Mobility, People and Environment.
Alfonso Zendejas
President
Bridgestone Latin America North