NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions (BBTS) has announced it is relocating its headquarters to Nashville.

While certain vital functions will remain in Muscatine, Iowa, senior management and other staff out of the company’s headquarters will relocate, the company said.

The relocation, according to the company, will improve profitability while helping improve customer focus while lowering costs to eliminate duplication and inefficiencies.

The company is also installing new management operating systems to further improve efficiency and business processes, BBTS announced.

“Change is always difficult, but relocating our headquarters team and certain functions to the Nashville area is the right business decision, and will align our resources and people in a way that will enable us to better serve our customers,” said Kurt Danielson, president of BBTS. “Our company has a rich heritage in Muscatine and I’m pleased that BBTS will be keeping certain business functions here and we will continue to be a part of this community.”

Remaining in Muscatine are: equipment manufacturing, emergency road service, human resources, retread manufacturing management, manufacturing finance, information technology, retread engineering, retread technical services and R&D. About 220 employees will remain there to handle those activities, the company says.

Thirty-two employees will make the move to Nashville, 55 employees have chosen not to move but will assist with the transition and 18 positions were eliminated.