Firestone Tire and Rubber Company was founded by Harvey S. Firestone in 1900 in Akron, Ohio. The company gained significant prominence when it became the primary supplier of tires for Ford Motor Company’s Model T. In 1988, Firestone was acquired by the Japanese tire company Bridgestone. Firestone is best known for its range of tires used in passenger vehicles, trucks, and commercial vehicles. Located about 30 minutes northwest of downtown Phoenix, Peoria began as a humble agricultural community and has blossomed into a rapidly-growing modern city that offers a high quality of living in the natural beauty of the Sonoran Desert. The city has an estimated population of 175,961 people.