inRoads Magazine

Tire Review Magazine is now accepting nominations for its Annual Top Shop Awards. The awards honor the best independent tire dealers in the U.S. and Canada. Entry forms and information are available online at the Top Shop Awards website, and will be accepted until midnight, Friday, July 8, 2011.

Below are details for entry, courtesy of Tire Review:

• Entries require basic information about the dealership and a short nomination explainin why it should be considered. The award contestants will be judged on a number of criteria including customer service and retention, training and education, merchandising and promotion, professional standards and etc.
• A panel of judges, including industry professionals and a member of the Tire Review staff, will select four finalists and, ultimately, the 2011 Top Shop Award grand prize winner.
• The grand prize winner will receive a Coats ProGuard Leverless Tire Changer, $1,500 in cash, airfare and hotel for two (two nights/ three days) to the 2011 Global Tire Expo/SEMA Show, a feature story in the October 2011 issue of Tire Review and a Top Shop trophy to display in the winner's dealership. The three finalists will each receive a Coats 1250-3DV tire/wheel balancer (featuring on-board training), $500 in cash, a feature story in the October 2011 issue and a finalist trophy.

This Sunday night isn't just a big game for the Steelers and Packers. It's also a big night for the Bridgestone brand! This Sunday night, Feb. 6, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) will reveal two new commercials on FOX during Super Bowl XLV from the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. 

But, revealing two commercials isn't all the company is doing. The Bridgestone name will be easy to see given that the brand is the Official Tire of the NFL, the Official Tire of Super Bowl XLV and the title sponsor of the Bridgestone Super Bowl Halftime Show, during which the Black Eyed Peas will perform.

This year Bridgestone continued to work with the Richards Group, an advertising agency from Dallas, Texas, to create commercials for advertising's biggest night.  Here's a sneak peek of what you can expect to see on Super Bowl Sunday:

  At the incredible pace of opening 30 stores in just six years, it must be nearly impossible to find enough time in the day to stop and enjoy it. But for a few fleeting moments in November, Diane and Dan Hennelly and their team at The Tire Choice did just that, celebrating the grand opening of their milestone 30th store with a special guest who is also familiar with moving fast: racing legend Mario Andretti.

The Nov. 16 grand opening celebration of the newest The Tire Choice store, in East Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was part of a week-long series of events -- including a private reception for community leaders and a public event and autograph signing with Andretti, presented by Firestone -- to commemorate the success of Florida's fastest-growing tire and auto repair business.

"The reason we've been so successful is simple," Hennelly said. "We have the best people, we have clean and convenient locations, and we offer the finest quality tires available. We also have wonderful friendships, like the one with Bridgestone Firestone, which have been instrumental in our growth and success over the years."

The wet weather and schedule change threatened the success of this year's Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic. Although it seemed as if the odds were stacked against them the event set new records.

This year's NHL Winter Classic between the Washington  Capitals and the Pittsburg Penguins was the most successful yet and the most-viewed regular season game in 36 years. This year 68,000 fans gathered at Heinz Field and 4.5 million viewers tuned in to watch the Capitals win, a 22 percent increase over last year's game.Being a sponsor of the NHL Winter Classic is part of our sports marketing strategy. We have been the Official Tire of the NHL and the title sponsor of the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic ™ since 2009.

Winter presents its own unique dangers on the road. On top of the usual hazards you can expect driving all year long, the road conditions during the winter season can vary from snow, sleet or ice. That's why it's important to get a set of winter tires. The Bridgestone Blizzak is a tire that gives drivers peace of mind but also a safer drive when traveling this winter.

All-season tires provide enough wintertime traction for drivers in areas that only receive occasional light snow. But, the Bridgestone Blizzak is a viable alternative for drivers who encounter snow, sleet or ice for more than three months of out the year. 

The Multicell® tread compound technology has made the Blizzak the best Bridgestone-brand tire when driving in the snow, sleet or ice and the tire of choice for millions. The compound contains thousands of microscopic cells or pores. As the Blizzak wears, these cells are exposed to create thousands of biting edges that grip the road, allowing the driver to have better control of the vehicle.

Blizzak tires offer the most sizes to fit more vehicles than any winter tire in the North American market. To maximize the life span of winter tires use your conventional tires during the other seasons.