• Firestone created the first pneumatic suspension device in 1938 and continually aims to preserve and enhance ride quality for on and off-road vehicles.
• Designing, engineering, and manufacturing in ten countries worldwide help position Firestone Airide where its customers need it to be.
• A $26 million investment in new distribution centers at Firestone Airide’s Williamsburg, Kentucky, and Dyersburg, Tennessee, facilities will enhance the company’s operational excellence.
• The investment in Williamsburg builds upon a recent expansion that ensures it’s able to support EV demand for advanced air suspension technology.

The world is changing. 2024 was the hottest year on record, we waste nearly 1.3 billion tons of food annually, turtles are getting plastic stuck in their noses, and kids are getting their news from TikTok. As weird and worrying as some of these changes may feel, the worst thing a company could do is not be conscious of how it needs to change too. Firestone Airride has taken the world’s pivot as a clear sign to get ahead.

PREP WORK

Before taking on the most ambitious portion of this adaptation, the company had to accomplish two things. The first was a refresh of the Firestone Airide brand, an identity that Firestone believes “captures the breadth, depth, and innovation” across its air spring portfolio.

The second was launching Air Command with Bluetooth control functionality. This was brought to market as a smartphone app and wireless remote in tandem to fit a wider variety of customer demands. We wrote an article on how Firestone Airide users can choose between the two options earlier this year.

BIG STEP FORWARD

With those important steps checked off the list, Firestone Airide started the most ambitious part of its 2024 plan: a $26 million expansion project at two of its manufacturing facilities in Williamsburg, Kentucky, and Dyersburg, Tennessee.

Firestone Airide has run distinct manufacturing operations from both facilities since 1989. Williamsburg produces air springs for automotive, heavy-duty truck and trailer, and seat/cab air springs applications, whereas the Dyersburg, Tennessee facility fabricates “stamped metal components plates for air springs and finishes/crimps air springs for the automotive aftermarket (Ride-Rite), heavy-duty, and off-highway applications.”

These locations were intentional—both are parked adjacent to the company’s distribution centers, which cuts down on Firestone’s carbon footprint and overall transit time. Sounds like a green solution to me.

“With their strategic locations and increased capability, the new distribution centers will enable us to shorten time-to-market to meet customer demands while further optimizing our operations,” said Justin Monaghan, President of Firestone Airide. “We have a vital role to play in the transformation of mobility created by advanced electric vehicles and supporting technologies, such as our Firestone air springs.”

The masses may not know this, but Firestone Airide has been a pivotal supplier for the EV space already; it has designed and supplied air springs to the majority of commercial vehicle manufacturers in North America for more than two decades. As electric vehicles increasingly become normalized, not only will Firestone Airride’s experience be hugely beneficial, but its advanced systems will also grow ever more valuable within commercial, OE, and aftermarket spaces. This $26 million expansion guarantees that the company is poised to support that wave.

Coming from a company that is constantly measuring its opportunities for the future and helping pave the way for the industry’s own evolution, we are incredibly proud to see Firestone Airide take this huge stride forward.

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