Cockpit taking over ACT brand
Bridgestone Thailand plans to fold its ACT brand in with its Cockpit brand, using a marketing budget of 100 million baht, while opening 23 new branches this year.
The company wants to upgrade its fast-fit unit retail business by raising standards and providing full-circuit services.
Bridgestone aims to be ranked first in the fast-fit market in Thailand within three years.
Tanawat Kittirattanaporn, managing director of Bridgestone ACT Thailand, said Bridgestone wants to develop and lead the Cockpit brand in Thailand, while the ACT brand will withdraw from the domestic market.
“Bridgestone has 67 ACT branches that will change their name to Cockpit this year, while there are already 230 Cockpit branches in Thailand,” he said.
In 2020, Bridgestone has 297 branches combined in the country and expects to expand by 23 branches.
“Bridgestone has confidence the outlet service will meet the target of 320 branches this year because of the company’s strong financials for business expansion and investment,” said Mr Tanawat.
He said the company expects to spend 15-20 million baht per new branch, while the transformation from
ACT to the Cockpit brand will cost 1-2 million baht per branch.
The company expects total revenue this year to increase by 10% year-onyear thanks to outlet expansions and by folding one brand into another. About half of revenue is expected to come from rubber tyres while the other half will come from fast fits and other services.
While Cockpit is a tyre and car maintenance service centre with full-circuit services, it will expand into other services such as checking tyre conditions, wheel balancing, wheel alignment using a computer system and tyre and magnesium alloy wheel maintenance.
Cockpit and ACT are both tyre and car maintenance service centres with full-circuit services under Bridgestone Sales Thailand.
Bridgestone Sales Thailand, the parent firm of Bridgestone ACT Thailand, was established in Thailand in 1967 and has 16 subsidiaries located in Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Saraburi, Chon Buri, Rayong and Songkhla. Bridgestone employs 10,439 employees locally, covering tyre production and sales for domestic and export markets.
‘‘ Bridgestone has confidence the outlet service will meet the target of 320 branches this year because of the company’s strong financials.
TANAWAT KITTIRATTANAPORN
Managing director, Bridgestone ACT Thailand