Bridgestone/Firestone shuffles plant managers

July 16, 2003

Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire LLC (BFNT) has announced management changes at its Des Moines, Iowa, and LaVergne, Tenn., plants.

Larry Groff, plant manager for BFNT's Des Moines farm tire manufacturing factory, will retire on July 31 following 33 years of service to the company.

He will be replaced by Joe Ivy, who has relocated to Des Moines and has started the transition process, say BFNT officials. Ivy joined BFNT in 1996 as an engineer at its Decatur, Ill., facility.

Alain Dery, plant manager for BFNT's LaVergne facility, has accepted a position as special projects coordinator at the company's Nashville, Tenn., headquarters. He will be replaced by Ron Brooks, who currently manages BFNT's OTR manufacturing plant in Bloomington, Ill.

Dery's new duties will include identifying better ways to compete globally. He began his career as a tirebuilder at Firestone Tire & Rubber Co.'s Joliette, Quebec, plant in 1981.

Brooks started with Firestone in 1972, assuming the title of production division manager at BFNT's Warren County, Tenn., truck tire plant 16 years later, and, eventually, truck tire division manager.