Bridgestone Opens $3 Million Bandag Training Center in Akron
Bridgestone cut the ribbon on a new $3 million Bandag Training Center in Akron, Ohio, expanding retread education for fleets and commercial tire dealers. The nearly 15,000-square-foot facility combines classroom instruction with a complete retread operation, with plans to host hundreds of industry professionals annually.
The center sits inside the company’s tire test lab, next to its Bridgestone Americas Advanced Tire Production Center. It joins the Bandag Learning Center in Muscatine, Iowa, as the company’s second designated Bandag training location.
Akron Mayor Shammas Malik attended the Oct. 29 ribbon-cutting ceremony. He pointed to its role in helping customers maintain fleets, reduce landfill waste, and support a more circular economy.
“Bridgestone and Firestone are such important brands and really are some of the pillars in our community,” Malik said. “I say that as a Firestone high school graduate, but it’s been so amazing to watch the continued investment from Bridgestone in our community.”
Malik also described the city’s ambitions in sustainable polymers and advanced materials, with Bridgestone among its partners.
“And so we are excited to be partners with Bridgestone for a long time to come as we work at building our sustainable polymer tech hub and really trying to lead the world in sustainable polymers and other advanced materials,” he said.
The new facility includes production-scale manufacturing equipment, stations for all 10 retreading steps, a classroom, and a Bandag history walk. Bridgestone plans to offer seminars and classes tailored to different groups, including dealer employees, fleet customers, and its own teammates.
“Bandag retreads have been a staple solution in the commercial tire industry for more than half a century,” said Brian Douglas, vice president, Retread North America. “With the addition of this second training center, Bridgestone aims to strengthen its support for dealers and fleets, matching the value they get from retreads on the road.”
Training for the Retread Plant and the Fleet
The Bandag Training Center places its classroom beside the retread equipment, allowing instructors to move between lessons and hands-on work. The classroom can accommodate up to 36 students, according to Tom Trego, director of franchise support for Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions.
During the facility tour, Trego described training for retreaders and plant managers employed by franchise dealers. Internal employees also attend to learn the process as part of their roles.
Mike Hazelrigg, training manager for Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions, said the retread plant course typically runs Monday through Friday. Other classes may last a couple of days, depending on their focus. Students take a pretest so instructors can establish their starting knowledge.
Fleet education extends beyond understanding how a casing receives new tread. Trego said advanced tire analysis classes help participants identify conditions associated with misalignment, underinflation, and the retreading process.
That instruction gives fleets a way to examine tire performance and understand what caused a particular condition. Hazelrigg described using flowcharts and questions to work toward the underlying cause.
“So that’s part of that whole thing there too, is understanding. Not just looking at the condition, but understanding how that condition happened,” Hazelrigg said.
An Additional Site for Retread Development
When classes are not underway, Bridgestone plans to use the Bandag Training Center to test new retread products, equipment, and processes. Teams in Muscatine, Akron, and Nashville will support that work.
The facility gives the company another location to combine training with retread development. For fleet attendees, its curriculum also connects the manufacturing process with tire conditions they encounter in service.