The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company was founded in 1900 in Akron, Ohio by Harvey S. Firestone. At the time of its launch, Firestone was only involved with fastening the rubber to the steel carriage wheels. They bought the rubber that they required from other rubber manufacturing companies. By 1903, Firestone started manufacturing rubber and by 1904, they had gone on to develop pneumatic tires for vehicles.
Realizing the tremendous potential in the tire manufacturing industry, Firestone commenced mass production of vehicle tires. The company got a huge boost in 1905 when Henry Ford placed a large order of Firestone tires. To meet with this demand, the company immediately hired additional workers, bumping up the number of employees from 10 to 130. The deal went so well, Firestone went on to become the exclusive original equipment supplier to Ford Motor Company.
With continuous improvements and innovations in designs, vehicles outfitted with Firestone tires could travel faster and more safely than ever. Firestone offers a wide range of tires for all types of vehicles and also for the automobile racing industry.
Firestone was purchased by the Bridgestone Tire Company in 1988. The joint venture manufactures tires on an international scale, making the corporation one of the largest of its kind in the world.