AKRON, Ohio. (Oct. 29, 2026) – Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) today announced the opening of a new Bandag Training Center on its Akron campus. Representing a $3 million investment, the new center will educate teammates of commercial tire dealers and fleets about the performance, sustainability and financial benefits of retreaded tires. The facility aims to host hundreds of industry professionals each year, providing seminars and tailored classes of all sizes.
“Bandag retreads have been a staple solution in the commercial tire industry for more than half a century,” said Brian Douglas, Vice President, Retread North America. “With the addition of this second training center, Bridgestone aims to strengthen its support for dealers and fleets, matching the value they get from retreads on the road.”
The new Bandag Training Center is located in the company’s tire test lab, next to the Bridgestone Americas Advanced Tire Production Center (ATPC) and occupies nearly 15,000 square feet. The center features a complete retread facility, which includes production-scale manufacturing equipment and stations for each of the ten retreading steps, along with a classroom and the Bandag history walk. The new Akron facility is the second designated Bandag Training Center in the Bridgestone network, joining the established Bandag Learning Center in Muscatine, Iowa.
Driving Mobility Forward Through Education and Collaboration
The retread training delivered by Bandag is highly valued by customers, both fleets and dealers. The dual locations strengthen Bridgestone's ability to meet growing demand by expanding access to training and technical resources. Both facilities will serve as cornerstone assets for teammates and customers, advancing education, innovation and industry expertise across the tire retreading segment. When the Akron center isn’t 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.
Since 1957, Bandag has been a leading provider of tire-retreading solutions, 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 has diverted more than 300 million tires from landfills by extending their service lives through retreading.
Media information: Karina Gonzalez // GonzalezKarina@bfusa.com
