NASHVILLE, TN - Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSAM) announced plans to begin the process of relocating members of its senior management team and other specific functions of its Muscatine, Iowa-based Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions (BBTS) operations to locations in the Nashville, Tenn., area, including BSAM's headquarters facility in Nashville.

This decision is part of an overall effort to restructure the way BSAM does business across its North American operations. The goals are to become a more profitable and customer-focused business; to lower costs by eliminating duplication and inefficiencies; and to harness talent and expertise in a way that best serves the business. The company is installing new management operating systems to improve efficiencies and business processes, and enhancing the ability to measure business and individual performance.

"Change is always difficult, but relocating our headquarters team and certain functions to the Nashville area is the right business decision, and will align our resources and people in a way that will enable us to better serve our customers," said Kurt Danielson, President, BBTS. "Our company has a rich heritage in Muscatine and I'm pleased that BBTS will be keeping certain business functions here and we will continue to be a part of this community."

The BBTS functions that will remain in Muscatine are: Equipment Manufacturing, Emergency Road Service, Human Resources, Retread Manufacturing Management, Manufacturing Finance,  Information Technology Developers and Support, Retread Engineering, Retread Technical Services, and Retread Research and Development. Approximately 220 BBTS teammates will remain in Muscatine.

The following BBTS functions will be relocating to locations in the Nashville area, including the company's headquarters facility: Purchasing, Marketing, Finance, Accounts Payable, Credit, Business Strategy & Solutions Group, Customer Service, Legal, Safety and members of the Company Owned Operations senior management team. Thirty-two BBTS teammates will be relocating to Nashville as a result of this decision.

Further, 55 BBTS teammates who will not be relocating to Nashville have been asked to assist with the transition, which is expected to conclude no later than June 30, 2011. Eighteen positions within BBTS were eliminated.