Bridgestone Americas Inc. officially opened its new headquarters in Nashville, Tenn., and announced the city’s professional sports and entertainment venue will continue to be called Bridgestone Arena through 2025.
The headquarters building in downtown Nashville is called Bridgestone Tower. Located at 200 4th Avenue South, the 514,000-square-foot, 30-story tower is home to more than 1,700 employees.
The opening of the tower was marked by a Dec. 13 ceremony led by Bridgestone Corp. Global CEO and Representative Executive Officer Masaaki Tsuya and Bridgestone Americas President and CEO Gordon Knapp. They were joined by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Bill Hagerty.
“This is a historic day for Bridgestone and our teammates—we’re proud to call this great city home and see Bridgestone Tower standing tall in the Nashville skyline,” said Knapp. “This effort was only made possible due to the tremendous support we have from Nashville city leadership and Tennessee state leadership, and the Nashville community. Additionally, through the relentless work of our teammates and partners, Bridgestone Tower has come to life.”
Further underscoring its support of the Nashville community, Bridgestone also announced a five-year extension to its naming rights agreement for Bridgestone Arena, home of the Nashville Predators professional hockey team. The existing agreement, which also includes a marketing partnership with the Predators, began in 2010 and now will continue into 2025.
“We’re ecstatic to extend our valuable partnership with Bridgestone to ensure the home of the Predators, and one of the greatest venues in North America, continues to be Bridgestone Arena,” said Sean Henry, chief executive officer and president of the Nashville Predators. “As the Predators gain more traction as a household sports franchise and Bridgestone Arena strengthens its position as a dynamic, must-visit venue, it’s only fitting that we also bolster our relationship with a world-renowned manufacturing and innovation leader who shares our commitment to the Nashville community.”
The company says that since it teamed up with the Nashville Predators seven years ago, the arena has skyrocketed to become one of the most successful venues in the U.S. – annually hosting more than 1 million people in the building – and the Preds were named the “best franchise in sports” in 2017 by ESPN. The Bridgestone Arena was home to the 2017 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament, annual Country Music Association (CMA) Awards, and Country Music Television (CMT) Award.
Bridgestone’s history in Nashville began in 1992 when the company moved its primary operations from Akron, Ohio, to Middle Tennessee following Bridgestone Corporation’s 1988 merger with the Firestone Tire & Rubber Co.
“At Bridgestone, we are expanding an investment in Nashville that began 25 years ago,” Knapp added. “Nashville and Bridgestone have made an incredible team since we first moved here in 1992. The city has been good to us, and we strive to be a good community partner and neighbor in the places where we work, live and play. As our presence continues to grow, we will continue to actively support downtown and other communities throughout the region with volunteerism, board leadership, philanthropy and activities that contribute to growth and vitality for years to come.”
Bridgestone Americas leaders also celebrated the naming of honorary Bridgestone Drive, the street in front of Bridgestone Tower. Located at 4th Avenue South, between Korean Veterans Boulevard and Broadway, the six street signs serve as landmarks of Bridgestone’s commitment to its new home in downtown Nashville.
Bridgestone Tower is the second facility opened this year by Bridgestone in Metro Nashville. In June, Bridgestone Operations Center officially opened in Antioch which occupies more than 450 employees and contractors who work in areas of financial shared services, information technology and customer support. The investment in these two facilities brings the total number of Bridgestone employees in the Nashville area to more than 2,200.
The Bridgestone Tower and Bridgestone Operations Center bring together the company’s corporate staff and core business units to Nashville and Antioch: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations; Bridgestone Retail Operations; Firestone Building Products; Firestone Fibers and Textiles; Firestone Natural Rubber; and Firestone Industrial Products.
For more information about Bridgestone Americas and its new headquarters in Nashville, visit https://www.bridgestoneamericas.com.
