NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Bridgestone Americas CEO John Lampe, who led a turnaround at the company after a recall of millions of Firestone tires linked to fatal accidents, announced Wednesday that he is retiring in March.
Lampe, 56, who joined the company 30 years ago changing tires at a Cincinnati Firestone store, became CEO of the American subsidiary of Tokyo-based Bridgestone Corp. in October 2000, two months after the recall began.
"I believe it is time for a change," Lampe said during a conference call to the nearly 50,000 employees of the Nashville-based company.
"My heart is telling me I can stay. My head is telling me it's time for a fresh set of eyes, a new perspective, an increased energy level."
Lampe will be replaced as CEO by Mark Emkes, 50, who has been chief executive and president of the North American tire unit of Bridgestone Americas since 2002.
"I guarantee he's the right person at the right time for this job," said Lampe.
In August 2000, the tiremaker recalled 6.5 million Firestone tires after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating hundreds of fatal accidents. More than 200 deaths and 700 injuries in the United States were blamed on Ford Explorers rolling over after the tread separated on a Firestone tire.
Lampe had held the No. 2 post at the company then known as Bridgestone/Firestone for five years when he was named to replace Masatoshi Ono as CEO.
Lampe began an intensive campaign to rebuild confidence in the brand among customers, regulators and employees. He led a 2001 restructuring, broke off a 95-year relationship with Ford Motor Co., agreed to pay millions of dollars to settle lawsuits and returned the company to profitability the year following the recall.
"I am excited and gratified by the progress we have made in reinvigorating our company and in rebuilding the Firestone brand," Lampe said. "And as our company continues its recovery, I believe that it must be led by an individual who is strong, energetic, enthusiastic, assertive and confident. While I like to think that I've exhibited those characteristics in the past, I am not sure how much of my reserve is left for the future."
Lampe's announcement came as a Texas judge was hearing objections from critics who want changes made to a proposed $149 million settlement that would resolve 30 class-action lawsuits against Bridgestone related to the tire recall.
Lampe was the first American to head the subsidiary and to be named to the parent company's board of directors in Tokyo. He will continue to serve on the Bridgestone Americas board.
Emkes joined the former Firestone Tire & Rubber Company as a college class trainee in trade sales, with his first assignment as a store manager in Baytown, Texas. He then joined the international side of the tire business, spending time in the United Arab Emirates, Spain, Mexico and Brazil. He returned to the United States in late 2000 to become president of the company's Latin American unit before taking the job heading the North American tire unit.
Emkes said that although he is excited about the opportunity to run Bridgestone Americas, it will be tough to follow Lampe, whom he likened to Indiana basketball legend Larry Bird.
"Now I have a sense of how those who followed Larry Bird must have felt. I'm following in the footsteps of Lampe Legend, picking up that ball and getting out in front of the best team there is," Emkes said.
He told employees that what they have accomplished in recent years is "nothing short of remarkable."
"Certain experts said we were down for the count, that the Firestone brand was finished, but you proved all these experts wrong. While we still have a long way to go, our team under John's leadership has laid the groundwork, the basis for solid business growth in the future."