Bridgestone partners with Cacomiaf to launch flagship retail brand First Stop in Ivory Coast

Driving expansion and growth plans across Africa

June 30, 2021 – Mobility solutions provider Bridgestone has partnered with its counterpart Cacomiaf in the sub–Saharan Africa to launch its flagship retail brand First Stop in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. First Stop, an established tyre and car service retail chain in Africa and the Middle East, consolidates the decades-long experience of Bridgestone in the global automotive and mobility industry, while Cacomiaf is a pioneer in the field of tires and automotive mechanics in the Ivory Coast market.

As part of the partnership, both Bridgestone and Cacomiaf will launch initiatives and solutions for the end users in the tyre industry. Through the Ivorian company’s extensive knowledge of the Ivory coast market, both parties will work to provide the best tools and solutions, including customized services according to users’ needs. Bridgestone will also offer its strong engineering capacity and decades-long experience in developing the ideal product for its users.

Stefano Sanchini, Regional Managing Director, Bridgestone MEA said: “In line with our expansion plans, Bridgestone has partnered with Cacomiaf, who will support us in bringing our flagship retail brand, First Stop to the Ivory Coast market and establish a strong foothold in the region. We are confident that this new alliance will bring in great results. We look forward to working with a partner that fully understands the local market and the importance of bringing specialized auto service to the Ivorian driver.”

He continued: “First Stop is a product that is well-established in the European and Middle East markets, and we have been collecting and analyzing the data to seamlessly enhance the customer experience with Bridgestone. It is this experience that we want to bring to Ivory Coast where we will cater to the needs of the end users in the country and bring our world-class customer care and car services, which we have perfected over time.”

Bridgestone is a leading brand in the MEA region and counts its presence in Ivory Coast as one of the key pillars of its company’s strategy. Cacomiaf matches Bridgestone’s criteria in terms of developing the business, ambitions for growth, sharing the same values, and focusing on development of the local community.

Farid Assaf, General Manager, Cacomiaf, noted: “Cacomiaf is honoured to bring Bridgestone to the Ivory Coast market and bring value to the customers with its unbeaten tyre and auto-care services. This collaboration support’s our goal in giving back to the community and contributing to its development through various investments in its local business. Our team brings deep knowledge and experience of this market and look to realise our long-term approach in the region in collaboration with Bridgestone.”

Since African countries expanding their investments in the regional infrastructure, more commercial vehicles are expected to be on roads, thereby increasing the demand for transportation products and services. As the country continues to move towards development, Bridgestone hopes to contribute to the development of the region. The company targets to open a new branch office in Ivory Coast while keeping in mind to serve and support neighbouring countries, offering faster access to technical and marketing services.