Bridgestone has opened a new Bandag Training Center on its Akron, Ohio, campus, a $3 million investment intended to educate teammates of commercial tire dealers and fleets about the performance, sustainability and financial benefits of retreaded tires. The facility is designed to host hundreds of industry professionals each year through seminars and tailored classes of all sizes.
The center is the second designated Bandag Training Center in Bridgestone’s network, joining the Bandag Learning Center in Muscatine, Iowa. Brian Douglas, vice president of Retread North America, said Bandag retreads have been a staple solution in the commercial tire industry for more than half a century. He said the second training center is meant to strengthen Bridgestone’s support for dealers and fleets, matching the value they get from retreads on the road.
The Akron center occupies nearly 15,000 square feet in the company’s tire test lab, next to the Bridgestone Americas Advanced Tire Production Center. It includes a complete retread facility with production-scale manufacturing equipment and stations for each of the ten retreading steps, as well as a classroom and the Bandag history walk. The classroom and Bandag history walk are part of the training environment.
Bridgestone said the training is highly valued by customers, both fleets and dealers. The dual locations are intended to strengthen its ability to meet growing demand by expanding access to training and technical resources, with the Akron site complementing the Muscatine learning center rather than replacing it. The company described both facilities as cornerstone assets for teammates and customers, advancing education, innovation and industry expertise across the tire retreading segment.
When the Akron center is not hosting classes, Bridgestone plans to use it as an additional site for tire-retreading innovations. With support from teams in Muscatine, Akron and Nashville, the company will test new products and introduce new manufacturing equipment and processes to further advance the segment. The center’s role is therefore intended to extend beyond scheduled instruction.
Bandag has provided tire-retreading solutions since 1957 and describes itself as a leading provider advancing sustainable mobility practices. The company currently operates three pre-cured tread rubber manufacturing facilities, a retread equipment manufacturing facility and a mold manufacturing plant in the United States to support all of North America. Over its 65-year history, Bandag said it has diverted more than 300 million tires from landfills by extending their service lives through retreading. Bandag’s retreading work is presented as a way to extend tire service lives and keep tires out of landfills.