Bridgestone Expands in Retail Space with Acquisition of ETB

Bridgestone, which is the largest manufacturer of rubber products and tires in the world has expanded its presence in the retail space with the acquisition of the UK automotive service provider ETB. ETB owns a network of service shops in the south-west of Britain and will help Bridgestone to reinforce its retail footprint in UK.
ETB operates in Britain under the names of Exhaust Tyres Batteries and Britannia Tyres and has stores spread across 32 locations, and a workforce of 265 employees who cater to over 10,000 customers every month. As an outcome of this acquisition, Bridgestone will benefit from a unique opportunity to get closer access to retail customers, understand regional end-users to a better level and will strengthen its positioning as a leading provider of mobility solutions in the market.

Robin Shaw, Managing Director Bridgestone North Region expressed his delight with the acquisition of ETB saying it would further strengthen the sales operations that Bridgestone already has in the UK. He added that the tire sector is constantly evolving and, and the company will be able to get as close as possible to the end-consumer by partnering with ETB so that it can serve their needs better by offering them the best mobility solutions in the future.

Shaw added, “ETB is an established family-owned business with over 35 years of experience. The entrepreneurial mind-set of its owner, Mr. Charles Ivill, is a perfect fit with our expansion strategy. This, coupled with a very professional team and his local insight and experience, will be invaluable to us.”
Bridgestone has acquired and formed joint ventures with many retail partners in the past four years across different European countries like France, Germany, Spain and Slovakia. The tire manufacturer’s retail network now includes key market players like Speedy, First Stop and Côté Route.

Commenting on the deal, Charles Ivill, Founder of ETB said that tires are a major part of the products and services that ETB offers and with Bridgestone being the top tire and rubber company in the world, the partnership with Bridgestone will definitely benefit ETB’s product range, the services it offers clients, and will contribute to the future success of the company. With both partners having many years of expertise in their respective fields, they can work to help unlock a new understanding of the customers in the UK.

Both ETB and Britannia Tyres, will continue to operate under their current identities and with their current team, and Charles Ivill will continue to be at the helm from the ETB company headquarters in Worcester.