Jan. 15, 2014—Bridgestone Retail Operations (BSRO), the operator of more than 2,200 tire and automotive service centers across the U.S., recently announced the rebranding of 63 of its Expert Tire locations to Firestone Complete Auto Care stores, and two Expert Tire locations to Hibdon Tires Plus Stores.
This initiative also includes the closing of 15 Expert Tire stores, which took place on Dec. 31.
“After a careful banner review process, we determined that converting our Expert Tire stores best aligns with our strategic direction and makes the most sense for our customer base,” said Stu Crum, president of BSRO. “The stores will benefit from the brand equity inherent in the Firestone Complete Auto Care and Tires Plus names, as well as their marketing programs.”
BSRO expects the conversion to be completed by the second quarter of 2014.
According to a press release_notes, factors considered when making the closings included sales volume and proximity to other Firestone Complete Auto Care and Tires Plus locations. Some employees affected will be reassigned to other locations, or given a severance benefit.
