Ron Brooks, the recently retired plant manager at Bridgestone’s Warren County, Tenn. facility, has been named Community Servant Leader of the Year under the Waste Management Green Business Leadership Awards program, part of the recent Green Business Summit at Lipscomb University.
“Bridgestone Americas is committed to sound environmental business practices and to being an outstanding corporate citizen through a variety of community service projects,” says Brooks. “I am extremely proud of all of our co-workers at the facility who continue to contribute to these initiatives that make a lasting impact on our environment and our community. They deserve as much recognition as I do.”
Brooks was honored for his work in leading the implementation of the Bridgestone Environmental Education Classroom & Habitat (BEECH). The program was originally conceived by Carol Rose, community relations coordinator at the plant, and Bobby Cox, Warren County Schools’ director of instruction, and provides young people with hands-on environmental educational opportunities at the plant, which employs about 1,000 people and produces truck and bus tires.
In addition, the award recognized Brooks’ efforts with Project Hayride, an initiative that brought 1.5 million pounds of hay to drought-stricken Warren County farmers in the summer of 2007.
The company’s trucks transported the hay at no cost to the farmers in a team effort involving the local community and Bridgestone’s distribution division.
Brooks’ work to establish 10 local free air stations to help drivers maintain proper tire inflation was also noted. The pumps have been used more than 80,000 times since their introduction in late 2007.
“Sustainability is about environmental and social responsibility to the people in our communities and our world,” says Elizabeth Crook, a member of the Tennessee Sustainability Roundtable awards selection committee and the president of Orchard Advisors, an environmental consulting firm.
“Ron Brooks epitomizes this principle,” Crook continues. “In fact, it is fair to say that Ron and his Bridgestone Americas team have produced just as much quality social value as they have quality tires.”
Brooks officially retired in March, but will remain at the factory in a contractor role until June 30.
While he and the employees have undertaken several environmental initiatives at the plant, the BEECH effort has been particularly successful, according to Tim Bent, Bridgestone’s director of environmental affairs. In 2009, it was named the Wildlife Habitat Council’s Corporate Habitat of the Year and received the Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award for Excellence in Environmental Education and Outreach. An estimated 5,000 students have participated in the BEECH program since its founding in 2008.
“The impact of Ron’s environmental leadership on the Warren County facility, the company and the community through the BEECH program and many other initiatives has been remarkable,” says Bent. “Congratulations to him and his team for this well-deserved recognition.”
For more information, visit www.bridgestone-firestone.com.
