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Bridgestone Americas Recognized With 2015 Edison Gold Award for Innovation in Automotive Solutions

Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) today announced that it was recognized with a 2015 Edison Gold Award for Innovation in Automotive Solutions during the ceremony and gala dinner, held in New York on April 23. The company received the award for its innovative work aimed at diversifying the world’s natural rubber supply using rubber derived from guayule, a woody desert shrub native to the Southwestern U.S. and Mexico. Bridgestone is researching how to develop guayule-derived natural rubber for use in various tire applications.

The Edison Awards, inspired by Thomas Edison’s persistence and inventiveness, recognize innovation, creativity and ingenuity in the global economy. The awards program is conducted by Edison Universe, whose mission is to be a leader in globally recognizing, honoring and fostering innovation and innovators to create a positive impact in the world. The Edison Awards steering committee, with more than 3,000 professionals from the fields of product development, design, engineering, science, marketing and education, voted the company’s innovative work with guayule a 2015 Edison Gold Award winner.

“The work we are doing at our Biorubber Process Research Center in Arizona is important to diversifying the world’s natural rubber supply and identifying sustainable and renewable resources,” said Bill Niaura, director of new business development, Bridgestone Americas, Inc. “This work is one of many ways we are using innovation to achieve our long-term vision of manufacturing products from raw materials that are fully renewable and sustainable by 2050. We are honored to be recognized.”

In 2014, Bridgestone began rubber production at the Arizona-based research facility. With all of the world’s natural rubber currently derived from rubber trees native to Southeast Asia, developing a tire using guayule will stimulate new economies, growth and opportunities in the United States. Through this innovation project and others like it, Bridgestone is positioning itself to meet anticipated growth in demand for natural rubber, while also moving closer to achieving its long-term vision of manufacturing products from raw materials that are fully renewable and sustainable by 2050.

The environmental mission of Bridgestone is to ensure a healthy environment for current and future generations. All of the company’s sustainability initiatives are aligned under the One Team, One Planet sustainability platform. For additional information about the company’s One Team, One Planet environmental activities or the environmental mission of Bridgestone, visit www.BridgestoneAmericas.com.

Source: Bridgestone