Bridgestone to raise radial truck/bus tyre capacity in Thailand

By Liz White, ERJ staff

Tokyo-Bridgestone Corp. plans to invest about ¥17 500 million (Euro 127 million) in expanding its Thai truck and bus tyre plant, in a project that includes simultaneous expansion of its steel cord plant at Rayong in Thailand.

In a 9 August announcement, the Japanese tyre maker said the expansion will raise production at its Chonburi Plant, making radial truck and bus tyres, to 7500 tyres a day by the first half of 2008. "This move is in response to growing global demand for those tyres," Bridgestone's statement added.

At the same time, Bridgestone will raise capacity at its steel cord plant in Rayong to 107 tonnes a day, as part of the group's strategy to secure stable supply of raw materials.

Construction of the new buildings for these expansions will begin during this fiscal year, said Bridgestone.