Firestone Agricultural Tire promotes Norvel Smith to plant manager

Oct. 27, 2008

Norvel Smith is the new manager of Firestone Agricultural Tire Co.'s Des Moines, Iowa, manufacturing plant. He succeeds Joe Ivy, who elected to leave the company.

Smith is a 36-year veteran of the Bridgestone group of companies. He also has worked at Bridgestone tire manufacturing facilities in La Vergne and Warren County, Tenn., and the Oklahoma City, Okla., plant, which closed in 2006. He also was special projects manager at the Bridgestone Americas Support Center in Nashville, Tenn.

"Safety and quality are Norvel's top priorities, and with his experience and ability to motivate people, we will continue to build upon the many successes here in Des Moines," says Vice President Ken Allen.

Firestone Agricultural Tire is a division of Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire LLC, which will be renamed Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC on Jan. 1, 2009.