Bridgestone is celebrating the grand opening of its newest state-of-the-art tire distribution center in Jacksonville, Fla. The venture marks the latest step in the company’s North American distribution network modernization program.

With a capacity of more than a million tires ranging from small passenger car and industrial tires to medium and heavy-duty commercial truck tires, the Jacksonville center will supply tires and automotive parts to Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. In addition, the facility will supply the entire United States with tires produced in Latin America, plus provide the eastern half of the U.S. with tires from Japan and other Asian countries.

“The strategic location of the Jacksonville distribution center not only provides a tactical port of entry for our products, it also gives us the ability to provide overnight delivery service to virtually all of the customers serviced from this center,” says Steve Shelton, vice president of logistics supply chain management. “The people, community and location of Jacksonville were critical factors in our decision to develop a center there back in early 2007. We’re very excited to call Jacksonville home.”

Encompassing more than 1 million square feet, the Jacksonville facility is the largest of the company’s seven distribution centers throughout North America. It has 200-plus dock doors and is capable of handling more than 50 trailer loads of tires and parts on a daily bases. About 80 employees are on duty at the site.

For more information, visit www.bridgestone-firestone.com.