Bridgestone opens its largest North American D/C

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations'  (BATO) new warehouse in Jacksonville, Fla., has celebrated its grand opening.

The opening "marks the latest step in a modernization program of the company's North America distribution system," say BATO officials.

The warehouse -- the largest of BATO's seven North American warehouses at one million square feet -- has a capacity of three million tires, ranging from small passenger and industrial tires to medium and heavy-duty commercial truck tires.

It will ship tires to Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.The facility also will ship Latin American-produced tires to the entire U.S. and tires made in Japan and other Asian countries to the eastern half of the U.S.