Bridgestone tyres Papua new guinea is celebrating 20 years in business this year – a success that is testimony to the hard work of past and present employees.

Bridgestone Png enjoys an estimated 60% share of the general tyre market in Papua new guinea and a 30% share of the off-road tyre market. the company has more than 50 outlets throughout the country.

“it comes as no surprise then that the name ‘Bridgestone’ is more often than not, used by the local population as a generic term for anything representing a tyre rather than a specific tyre brand name,” said general manager Jon seeto.

A gathering of past and future staff is planned for later in the year to celebrate the 20-year anniversary.

Bridgestone Png’s head office is located in Lae, and the company currently owns and operates four branches, in Lae, Port Moresby, Madang, and rabaul. the company also leases and operates branches in Hagen, Kimbe, and Kokopo, and maintains a network of independent super dealers and dealers throughout the country.

in addition, it owns and operates two Bandag cold process retread factories in Lae and Port Moresby, and operates a warehousing facility in Lae.

Almost all Bridgestone Png department and branch managers are Png nationals. employee numbers stand at 141 Png nationals and just one expatriate, who looks after the it department.

Bridgestone Png came into existance when Bridgestone earthmover tyres purchased the then non-mining trading division of renison goldfields Consolidated in late 1988, which was struggling.

the turnaround took a number of years, and required a concerted effort by both Bridgestone earthmover tyres and Bridgestone Png staff.

By the end of 1991 Bridgestone Png operations returned a positive result after recording losses since the original acquisition.

in 1994 Bridgestone Png eliminated its accumulated losses completely, and by 2000 borrowings had been reduced to nil, with the company paying its first dividend to Bridgestone earthmover tyres. dividends have been paid each year since then.

“our managing director of 20 years, Lawrie Mainwaring, has played a particularly important role in building the success of the company,” said Jon.

“He was there at the acquisition phase and even to this day, he still has a very large impact on the overall success of the company with his hands-on guidance and proactive recommendations. His day-to-day support is invaluable.”

And while Jon is proud of the company’s achievements, he

acknowledges that there are challenges ahead.“Future challenges facing the company include maintaining a

healthy and skilled workforce in a country where HiV/Aids is fast approaching epidemic proportions,” said Jon.

“other issues include retaining key personnel in an economic environment where the number of new major developments far outweigh the availability of suitable skilled personnel, an ever-growing government and public awareness of the environment, spiralling oil prices and maintaining market share with a quality product in a predominantly price-conscious market that is now being inundated with cheap imported alternative products.”

determined to build on its success Bridgestone Png is already making plans to consolidate its position.

“We’re planning a major redevelopment of our Lae and Port Moresby premises, and we’re planning to acquire some of the properties we’re currently leasing,” said Jon.

“We will also continue to train our employees to improve their personal and professional skills base, to allow them to better anticipate and meet future personal and customer product and service expectations.

“We will also ensure that the products we supply to customers are of high quality, at an affordable price, and we will promote the Bridgestone name, products and ideals throughout Png.”

Bridgestone Earthmover Tyres Pty Ltd223 Rookwood Road, Yagoona, NSW 2199.

Ph 1800 114 040. Fax (02) 9722 6199.WEBSITE www.bridgestone-earthmover.com.au

EMAIL sales@bsem.com.auFor further information on any of the products or services covered in IMPRINT, please contact us at Bridgestone Earthmover Tyres, or your nearest Bridgestone outlet.

Bridgestone Tyres PNG celebrates 20 years

WINTER 2007

MAKing Bridgestone earthmover tyres a world leading company is Managing director Junya ono’s number one ambition.

“My ambition is to make Bridgestone earthmover tyres a world leading company: not just in earthmover tyre supply and in our tyre related support business but in the way we provide these products and services. We want to win the trust of our clients” said Junya.

Junya has been in the managing director’s chair since october 2007, but has worked for Bridgestone Corporation for 19 years.

His first job with Bridgestone was in production enhancement and overseas distribution at the off the road tyre (otr) division in tokyo, Japan. Prior to coming to live and work in Australia, Junya was Bridgestone Corporation’s otr area manager for north and south America.

According to Junya, tyre supply is the number one challenge facing the company.

“obviously, in the short term, tyre supply is the key issue with which we must deal,” he said. “How we satisfy our clients under the current supply conditions is critical to our ongoing success.”

“our tyre rescue Program provides critical support in the areas of tyre selection and maintenance, ongoing tyre development and road maintenance.”

“tyre repairs and complete service contracts are other areas where we assist our clients to overcome tyre supply constraints. All of our professional services are offered to assist and support our clients in their use of our products.”

on an industry level, Junya believes there are two main issues – cost increases and recycling.

Junya said that Bridgestone is currently experiencing extreme cost pressures. depreciation on major factory investments, labour costs, transport and fuel costs have all increased dramatically. raw material costs for natural rubber, steel cord and oil related products, such as synthetic rubber and carbon black, are also increasing significantly.

“Costs for these materials have escalated quite dramatically as a result of current economic conditions, including the growth in China and other developing economies and greater cash flow into the commodity market. “Unfortunately these costs will have to be passed on to consumers,” said Junya.

“Bridgestone will not take advantage of the current market circumstances, but we do need to recover our growing outlays with fair and justified price increases being passed on to our client base.

“With recycling, this is an issue which requires greater attention within the industry and in the community as a whole,” said Junya.

“the requirement, particularly from the mining industry, is to build more durable, longer-lasting tyres. this results in tyres that are stronger and more resistant to damage, but also more difficult to break down for recycling.

“We must consider the sustainability of our environment for future

generations; with the focus on re-use and recycling of our products. the development of a practical business model to facilitate these processes in the near future will be a key driver in achieving these goals.”

Junya is passionate about Bridgestone, and asks that employees remember the company’s corporate philosophy – “trust and pride”.

“our business is to sell tyres and related products and services; but in doing this, we need to earn the trust of our clients and of our colleagues,” he said.

“i would also want all of our staff to be proud of their jobs, of our company and of our culture.”

New MD has ambitious goals

Junya Ono, Managing Director of Bridgestone Earthmover Tyres.

WINTER 2007WINTER 2008

Bridgestone Tyres Papua New Guinea head office in Lae.

A neW advertising campaign has been launched by Bridgestone earthmover tyres to highlight that the company is more than just a tyre supplier.

the campaign features a series of seven ads, each of which emphasises a different aspect of what Bridgestone has to offer, including tyre supply, tyre fitting, tyre repair, wheel and rim, tyre management, training and safety.

the ads feature photographs from Bridgestone facilities around Australia, and were put together by Bridgestone’s marketing agency spitfire Communications.

the first ad appeared in the June issue of Australian Mining Monthly. the remaining ads will appear in coming months.

“What we’re trying to do is to to distinguish Bridgestone from other tyre suppliers and demonstrate that we are a unique business entity,” said Mick ryan, executive Manager, diversified Products.

“rather than just naming the services and products we offer, we’ve used images to show what we are involved with.

“this is a unique way of presenting ourselves to customers; we’ve often listed some of the services, but, now we are displaying them visually and that has a much more immediate impact.

“sometimes you can express ideas in photographs that are difficult to express in words.”

According to Mick, the aim of the campaign is to remind customers that Bridgestone can provide a total tyre solution.

“We’re trying to keep our customers aligned with our business; we’d prefer that they didn’t farm out their requirements to other third parties, which may not necessarily be able to deliver the same level of service, experience, product knowledge and support that we can.”

While Mick concedes that customers are not usually so influenced by advertising, he’s confident that this approach will work.

“if we can continue to focus on images in terms of the unique product and service offerings we provide, we’ll tend to have a more consistent effect.”

A neW truck and trailer rig has improved safety and customer support levels at Bridgestone earthmover tyres’ Kalgoorlie branch, which services the goldfields region of Western Australia.

the MAn tgH prime mover and JtB trailer are used to transport tyres, along with a 12 tonne-capacity Hyster forklift. the forklift is fitted with a Cascade tyre-hand manipulator, allowing it to move and position tyres.

the prime mover offers about 4 m of tray space for tyres and has a weight capacity of about 4 tonnes – allowing two 3300 r51s to be carried as a wide load.

With smaller tyres, anything up to 10 or 20 can be carried, depending on their size.

“this configuration has a number of advantages over the more conventional truck-mounted crane configuration,” said Clinton Harding, branch manager at Kalgoorlie.

“the first and most important advantage is improved safety. We have eliminated the need for people to work under suspended loads or cranes, which has caused some problems in the past.

“the second advantage is less wear on the prime mover motor.“in a conventional configuration with an on-board truck crane

to handle the tyres, the main prime mover engine runs the Pto system, which in turn, runs all the hydraulics for the crane and compressors and so forth.

“sometimes we needed to run the truck for up to 12 hours nonstop without the engine being under any substantial load, so, idling at low revs was not good for the motor.

“With the new configuration, both the compressor and forklift operate under their own steam,” said Clinton.

the new configuration also offers cost savings and efficiency advantages.

“there is a cost saving for Bridgestone because instead of running a big 450 hp engine to run maybe a 12 hp

component, we are actually shutting down the prime mover and moving to an 80 hp engine with the forklift and a 10 hp engine in the compressor, which should reduce fuel consumption.

“there are also efficiency advantages with this unit in the sense that the job can be done much quicker because the forklift is more manoeuvrable on site,” he said.

Another benefit is that it’s very easy to reconfigure the prime mover so it can be run like a transporter.

“We can actually take the forklift and compressor off the vehicle and essentially run the truck like a transport trailer as well.

“that has the ability to service our repair business; in other words, we can deliver tyres to clients en masse and also pick up tyres up from sites as well, whereas, with a conventional configuration, it’s not practical to remove the crane or compressor from the vehicle.”

response from staff has been positive, which has been helped by the inclusion of a few “creature comforts”.

“the prime mover has a fridge and a sleeper bunk, so if staff are tired, they can have a bit of a sleep and they are able to keep their lunch nice and cool. in 47°C heat, that’s something very beneficial,” said Clinton.

“it’s made my job a lot easier in the sense that the new configuration addresses the safety concerns that we have with this business.

“i’m very pleased that the company supported the idea and is prepared to try something new,” he said.

New truck and trailer rig improves safety

Bridgestone Earthmover TyresMore than a tyre supplier.

Freecall 1800 114 040www.bridgestone-earthmover.com.au

Deal direct with Bridgestone:

Tyre fitting

Tyre repairSafety

Wheel and rim

Tyre management

Training

CoMplETE TyrE soluTionsBacked by 40 years’ experience in supporting the Australian mining sector, Bridgestone’s Complete Tyre solutions approach works with you to safely:4 improve TyrE liFE to completely utilise tyre resources 4 improve TyrE rEpAir MAnAgEMEnT to maximise tyre life potential4 increase EquipMEnT AvAilABiliTy4 improve on-site TyrE AppliCATion prACTiCEs to maximise tyre resources.

Tyre supply

Behind our new advertising campaign

An on-site servicing relationship with the Mt owen coal mine in the Hunter Valley has proven to be a huge success for Bridgestone earthmover tyres.

An open cut coal mine owned by Xstrata and operated by theiss Contracting, Mt owen is one of the biggest mines in the region with a fleet of 58 pieces of equipment. it requires 250 tyres a year.

Bridgestone won the service contract just over a year ago. Mt owen recently expanded Bridgestone’s contract to include a night shift.

“our service business has historically been off-site, but this site was appealing to us, even though it required two on-site tyre fitters and a site co-ordinator,” said branch manager John Corben.

Bridgestone’s on-site team at Mt owen includes site co-ordinator david Crick, and fitters Chris Mayne and stephen Upward.

“Because it is a seven day, 24-hour operation, we were required to have resources available when required, not relying on off-site

tyre fitters to be available.“it fitted in with our strategy to move forward, as we were looking

for potential growth and were focused on expanding our service business.”

John says that the first 12 months have been both challenging and rewarding.

“We’ve been able to meet the customer’s requirements, and to develop a mutual appreciation of each other,” he said.

“From a safety point of view and an efficiency point of view, it’s allowed us to improve the level of service that we’ve been able to supply.”

in addition to tyre changes, Bridgestone’s on-site staff undertake tyre inspections, audits, and ensure that a high level of safety is being maintained. the site co-ordinator also looks after reporting and ensuring stakeholders have up-to-date information.

“this means we’ve been able to improve tyre performance and increase tyre life, which means that there is less downtime,” said John. “As well, the tyre repair costs have gone down, so, we’ve been able to save them money.” tyre repairs are still carried out at Bridgestone’s Hunter Valley tyre repair facility.

John is very enthusiastic about the potential advantages for customers of on-site servicing arrangements.

“We have many big clients, and i would recommend anybody with a fleet of more than 20 trucks to look at this method of servicing.”

On-site servicing success at Mt Owen Hyster forklift and Cascade tyre-hand manipulator.

The MAN TGH prime mover and JBT trailer.

Mt Owen coal mine now enjoys on-site servicing.

Bridgestone tyres Papua new guinea is celebrating 20 years in business this year – a success that is testimony to the hard work of past and present employees.

Bridgestone Png enjoys an estimated 60% share of the general tyre market in Papua new guinea and a 30% share of the off-road tyre market. the company has more than 50 outlets throughout the country.

“it comes as no surprise then that the name ‘Bridgestone’ is more often than not, used by the local population as a generic term for anything representing a tyre rather than a specific tyre brand name,” said general manager Jon seeto.

A gathering of past and future staff is planned for later in the year to celebrate the 20-year anniversary.

Bridgestone Png’s head office is located in Lae, and the company currently owns and operates four branches, in Lae, Port Moresby, Madang, and rabaul. the company also leases and operates branches in Hagen, Kimbe, and Kokopo, and maintains a network of independent super dealers and dealers throughout the country.

in addition, it owns and operates two Bandag cold process retread factories in Lae and Port Moresby, and operates a warehousing facility in Lae.

Almost all Bridgestone Png department and branch managers are Png nationals. employee numbers stand at 141 Png nationals and just one expatriate, who looks after the it department.

Bridgestone Png came into existance when Bridgestone earthmover tyres purchased the then non-mining trading division of renison goldfields Consolidated in late 1988, which was struggling.

the turnaround took a number of years, and required a concerted effort by both Bridgestone earthmover tyres and Bridgestone Png staff.

By the end of 1991 Bridgestone Png operations returned a positive result after recording losses since the original acquisition.

in 1994 Bridgestone Png eliminated its accumulated losses completely, and by 2000 borrowings had been reduced to nil, with the company paying its first dividend to Bridgestone earthmover tyres. dividends have been paid each year since then.

“our managing director of 20 years, Lawrie Mainwaring, has played a particularly important role in building the success of the company,” said Jon.

“He was there at the acquisition phase and even to this day, he still has a very large impact on the overall success of the company with his hands-on guidance and proactive recommendations. His day-to-day support is invaluable.”

And while Jon is proud of the company’s achievements, he

acknowledges that there are challenges ahead.“Future challenges facing the company include maintaining a

healthy and skilled workforce in a country where HiV/Aids is fast approaching epidemic proportions,” said Jon.

“other issues include retaining key personnel in an economic environment where the number of new major developments far outweigh the availability of suitable skilled personnel, an ever-growing government and public awareness of the environment, spiralling oil prices and maintaining market share with a quality product in a predominantly price-conscious market that is now being inundated with cheap imported alternative products.”

determined to build on its success Bridgestone Png is already making plans to consolidate its position.

“We’re planning a major redevelopment of our Lae and Port Moresby premises, and we’re planning to acquire some of the properties we’re currently leasing,” said Jon.

“We will also continue to train our employees to improve their personal and professional skills base, to allow them to better anticipate and meet future personal and customer product and service expectations.

“We will also ensure that the products we supply to customers are of high quality, at an affordable price, and we will promote the Bridgestone name, products and ideals throughout Png.”

Bridgestone Earthmover Tyres Pty Ltd223 Rookwood Road, Yagoona, NSW 2199.

Ph 1800 114 040. Fax (02) 9722 6199.WEBSITE www.bridgestone-earthmover.com.au

EMAIL sales@bsem.com.auFor further information on any of the products or services covered in IMPRINT, please contact us at Bridgestone Earthmover Tyres, or your nearest Bridgestone outlet.

Bridgestone Tyres PNG celebrates 20 years

WINTER 2007

MAKing Bridgestone earthmover tyres a world leading company is Managing director Junya ono’s number one ambition.

“My ambition is to make Bridgestone earthmover tyres a world leading company: not just in earthmover tyre supply and in our tyre related support business but in the way we provide these products and services. We want to win the trust of our clients” said Junya.

Junya has been in the managing director’s chair since october 2007, but has worked for Bridgestone Corporation for 19 years.

His first job with Bridgestone was in production enhancement and overseas distribution at the off the road tyre (otr) division in tokyo, Japan. Prior to coming to live and work in Australia, Junya was Bridgestone Corporation’s otr area manager for north and south America.

According to Junya, tyre supply is the number one challenge facing the company.

“obviously, in the short term, tyre supply is the key issue with which we must deal,” he said. “How we satisfy our clients under the current supply conditions is critical to our ongoing success.”

“our tyre rescue Program provides critical support in the areas of tyre selection and maintenance, ongoing tyre development and road maintenance.”

“tyre repairs and complete service contracts are other areas where we assist our clients to overcome tyre supply constraints. All of our professional services are offered to assist and support our clients in their use of our products.”

on an industry level, Junya believes there are two main issues – cost increases and recycling.

Junya said that Bridgestone is currently experiencing extreme cost pressures. depreciation on major factory investments, labour costs, transport and fuel costs have all increased dramatically. raw material costs for natural rubber, steel cord and oil related products, such as synthetic rubber and carbon black, are also increasing significantly.

“Costs for these materials have escalated quite dramatically as a result of current economic conditions, including the growth in China and other developing economies and greater cash flow into the commodity market. “Unfortunately these costs will have to be passed on to consumers,” said Junya.

“Bridgestone will not take advantage of the current market circumstances, but we do need to recover our growing outlays with fair and justified price increases being passed on to our client base.

“With recycling, this is an issue which requires greater attention within the industry and in the community as a whole,” said Junya.

“the requirement, particularly from the mining industry, is to build more durable, longer-lasting tyres. this results in tyres that are stronger and more resistant to damage, but also more difficult to break down for recycling.

“We must consider the sustainability of our environment for future

generations; with the focus on re-use and recycling of our products. the development of a practical business model to facilitate these processes in the near future will be a key driver in achieving these goals.”

Junya is passionate about Bridgestone, and asks that employees remember the company’s corporate philosophy – “trust and pride”.

“our business is to sell tyres and related products and services; but in doing this, we need to earn the trust of our clients and of our colleagues,” he said.

“i would also want all of our staff to be proud of their jobs, of our company and of our culture.”

New MD has ambitious goals

Junya Ono, Managing Director of Bridgestone Earthmover Tyres.

WINTER 2007WINTER 2008

Bridgestone Tyres Papua New Guinea head office in Lae.