Bridgestone Americas Inc. announced that its off-the-road (OTR) plant in Bloomington, Ill., recently achieved the Gold Level in the Caterpillar Supplier Quality Excellence Process (SQEP) Certification.

The SQEP Certification demonstrates the strong values and ethical principles of Bridgestone in conducting business, as well as the company's commitment to collaborate with Caterpillar to implement a culture for "zero-defects" across the supply chain. Recognition levels of Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum, reflected in order of increasing difficulty, distinguish outstanding supplier quality performance.

"We are honored to receive this award of excellence from Caterpillar," said Monty Greutman, Bloomington plant manager, Bridgestone Americas. "This recognition speaks to the commitment, dedication and diligence of each of our teammates who put their heart and soul into their work every day at this plant. Every one of them should be proud of their contributions to this achievement."

Caterpillar's SQEP Certification was created to recognize a supplier's dedication to providing superior quality, and only is awarded to suppliers who demonstrate world-class performance on an ongoing basis. Each year, suppliers are evaluated with increasingly strict criteria for distinguishing outstanding supplier quality, exceptional service and shipping performance.

Since 1965, the Bloomington Plant has produced bias and radial OTR tires for mining and construction applications and last year announced a $12 million investment to expand production of popular tire sizes at the plant. Earlier this month, the Bloomington Plant was recertified as a Star participant as part of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Program. The plant also has received numerous awards, including the Illinois American Legion Employer of the Year for hiring veterans and a U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association's 2017 Improvement Award for achievements in worker safety and health.

For more information, visit www.BridgestoneAmericas.com.

To read more stories about Bridgestone Americas Inc., click here.

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