THE TIRE COLOGNE: Three questions to Andreas Niegsch, Bridgestone Deutschland GmbH

1. How does your company adapt itself to the industry’s current trends?

Bridgestone stands for safety, innovation and service. Two of our milestones, for example, are the Run-Flat technology and the DriveGuard – a tire that allows the driver to maintain control even after a puncture and safely continue driving for 50 miles at up to 50 mph. In addition to safety, sustainability plays an important role for us. In 2015 we were the first manufacturer to introduce a tire for a passenger car consisting of natural rubber from the guayule plant. Moreover, we developed the Ologic technology which helps reduce the fuel consumption and its related CO2 emissions. One of our goals is to be able produce all our tires, without exception, from sustainable materials by 2050. As a result, we have been listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.

2. What does a successful trade fair look like in your eyes?

As the global leader of tire industry, we want to have a strong visibility at all relevant trade shows, increase awareness of our brand and stay in our customer’s minds in a positive and sustainable way. Our goal is for customers to actively engage with our brand. As an exhibitor, it is very important for us to present our new products and service concepts. Trade shows such as “The Tire Cologne” are an ideal platform for introducing our latest tire innovations to the tire specialist trade , to car service providers and workshop suppliers. It gives us the chance to elaborate on product details and answer any questions business partners or end users might have. This allows us to gain lots of insights for our divisions. In the end, a trade fair is always a valuable stress test for your sales pitch as you receive immediate and unfiltered feedback, making trade shows equally exciting and interesting for exhibitors and visitors.

3. What do you think of the fact that the target groups have been extended to new segments such as fleet management?

Fleet management plays a crucial role for us. With new tire technologies such as DriveGuard, our mobility guarantee and tires with low rolling resistance, we especially cater to the demanding requirements of fleets. In the truck sector, our cutting-edge tire pressure monitoring system supports fleet managers in the electronic control of tire pressure in real time. This extends the service life of tires, increases safety and reduces costs. The web-based fleet management software compares data and sends maintenance recommendations to the fleet manager and service provider if the air pressure of a tire falls below the tolerance. Together with further important tire data which is saved in the TOOLBOX, we can help fleets to get an exact overview of their costs and introduce improvement processes which then can be constantly tracked and checked by Bridgestone Total Tyre Care. With the Bridgestone tire pressure monitoring system – which is included in the fleet service package – customers can be sure that all vehicles in their fleet always have optimal tire pressure. We will showcase this system to our visitors at “The Tire Cologne”. And we will also highlight how the cooperation between us and our partners helps fleet managers maximize the efficiency of their fleet and minimize tire-related costs.