Innovation and efficiency are essential components behind the concept and creation of every Firestone tyre.

Both attributes are essential in positioning the brand as a leader in farming and agriculture and both are in evidence amongst the shortlisted entries for the Food & Farming Industry Awards’ Farm Business of the Year category.

Firestone is proud to be lead sponsor of this prestigious accolade, which highlights the wonderful work that is being carried out in the industry.

The purpose of the awards is not only to reward compelling, competitive businesses, but to position them as industry leaders, where others can learn and emulate growth and success.

At Firestone, we have never been more committed to the farming world and are continually investing in better technologies to make a difference to farmers everywhere.

In February, we launched the Performer Row Crop series of tyres which improve farming efficiency.

The new tyres are designed to provide maximum efficiency in the field and on the road through their high load-carrying capacity and high speed index, thereby enabling farmers to use large tanks and save time in spraying operations. 

Firestone has carried this field efficiency through to the road, designing the new tyres with a high speed index.  Combined with the Dual Angle Lug drive pattern, Performer Row Crop tyres allow farmers to drive fast in all ground conditions, resulting in further savings. The tyres also demonstrate excellent accuracy, providing good ride comfort and steering response, even at these higher speeds.

“Market research and customer feedback tell us that ride comfort and reducing soil compaction are increasingly important for farmers today working with larger and faster tractors, heavy loads and a more intensive use of machinery. 

“Our Performer range has been developed to meet these needs. Our market share in this segment has grown dramatically over the past few years, and Firestone is already one of, if not the single largest brand in the UK,” said Barry Coleman, Firestone’s agricultural product manager.

The Firestone Maxi Traction IF has also been a similarly successful tyre for the brand, to supplement the Performer Row Crop series.

Independent traction tests comparing the Firestone Maxi Traction IF with three main competitors, including top-selling tyre brands in Europe, proved the overall superiority of the Firestone tyre in traction and work rate.  The Maxi Traction IF was shown to have the lowest slip rate1 – resulting in stronger traction.   These tests were carried out last year in Belgium and Germany and also confirmed Maxi Traction’s higher work capacity, showing a larger surface area work rate2 than the same three competitors.

“Firestone aims to offer farmers measurable improvements in efficiency and these independent tests prove that Maxi Traction IF delivers it,” added Barry.

The same testing programme shows that Maxi Traction IF has an above-average tyre footprint, adding the benefit of lower soil compaction to its top traction performance.

Importantly for farmers, the independent tests found that Maxi Traction’s superior traction and faster work rate is not compromised by its fuel efficiency, which proved in line with average results of the tested tyres in the field and on the road.3 Farmers can therefore enjoy lower overall fuel consumption with Maxi Traction thanks to its faster work rate.

In addition to enabling the tyre to carry the same load as a standard tyre at lower inflation pressure, Firestone IF technology can also be used to carry a 20% higher load at the same inflation pressure and speed as a standard tyre. This gives the farmer, for example, the capability to use heavier implements or reduce the number of transport cycles – increasing production efficiency again.

Barry concludes: “When we talk about innovation and efficiency, we really do mean it, as we’ve outlined above. Both virtues lie at the heart of all of our products.

“With this in mind, we were really keen to put our name alongside the Farm Business of the Year category.

“We think the award stands for everything that we strive to achieve as a business and we know that each shortlisted entry shares the same values.

“All that is left  to do is unearth the overall winner. Whoever is eventually chosen, they will have thoroughly deserved it for 12 months of hard work in challenging economic conditions.”