CHAIRMAN
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
AND PRESIDENT
Bridgestone/Firestone Inc.
50 Century Boulevard,
Nashville, TN 37214
Phone: 615-872-1900 Fax:
615-872-1802
May 21, 2001
Mr. Jacques Nasser
Chief Executive Office
Ford Motor Company
Dearborn, Michigan
Via Fax
Dear Mr. Nasser:
Today, I am informing you that Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc.
is ending its tire supply relationship with the Ford Motor Company. While we will honor our existing contractual
obligations to you, we will not enter into any new tire sales agreements in the
Americas with Ford beginning today.
Business relationships, like personal ones, are built upon
trust and mutual respect. We have come
to the conclusion that we can no longer supply tires to Ford since the basic foundation
of our relationship has been seriously eroded. This is not a decision we make
lightly after almost 100 years of history.
But we must look to the future and the best interests of our company,
our employees and our other customers.
Our analysis suggests that there are significant safety
issues with a substantial segment of Ford Explorers. We have made your staff aware of our concerns. They have steadfastly refused to acknowledge
those issues.
We have always said that in order to insure the safety of
the driving public, it is crucial that there be a true sharing of information
concerning the vehicle as well as the tires.
You simply are not willing to do that. We believe you are attempting to
divert scrutiny of your vehicle by casting doubt on the quality of Firestone
tires. These tires are safe, and as we
have said before, when we have a problem, we will acknowledge that problem and
fix it. We expect you to do the same.
I wish you and the Ford Motor Company continued success and
regret that we cannot continue our relationship going forward.
Sincerely,
John T. Lampe