Bridgestone opens OTR plant ahead of schedule

ERJ staff report (DS)

Tokyo -- Bridgestone Corp. has begun production of large and ultralarge off-the-road radial tyres for construction and mining vehicles at its new Kitakyushu Plant, three months earlier than the planned September start of production. The Kitakyushu Plant is the first new tyre plant opened by Bridgestone in Japan since 1976, when Bridgestone began production at its Hofu Plant. The unit came on stream on 17 June.

Bridgestone said it considers large and ultralarge OTR radials to be strategic products. The new unit has capacity for 80 tonnes of rubber compound per day, all converted into tyres. The unit is due to be up to full capacity by the second half of 2012, when it will employ 329 people.

Previously, Bridgestone manufactured large and ultralarge OTR radials at its Shimonoseki Plant. Going forward, Bridgestone will continue to increase production capacity of these products, and it expects that, by second half of 2012, the combined output of the two plants will be 30 percent higher than the current level.

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Press release from Bridgestone