Update: Bridgestone to expand Brazilian passenger car tire plant again

Camaçari, Brazil – Bridgestone Brazil has announced a new round of expansions at its passenger car tire production facility in Camaçari, in the eastern state of Bahia, Brazil.

The new BRL270 million (€52 million) investment will go towards the “modernisation and expansion” of the factory and will be in addition to the BRL700 million expansion project announced in July last year.

In a statement 6 Sept, Bridgestone said the project is part of its strategy to produce high-performance tires for passenger vehicles, SUVs, and pick-up trucks and would help the manufacturer keep up with growing demand for such tires.

“This investment is part of our strategic plan for sustainable growth in Brazil,” said Vicente Marino, president of Bridgestone Latin America South.

The project, he went on to say, is focused on the “premium tire market” and the production of tires for more sustainable and electric/hybrid vehicles.

Bridgestone said the investment will expand capacity at the plant through the use of new manufacturing technologies and Industry 4.0.

In a statement to Tire Business, the tire maker said the project, which would also involve increasing the physical size of the plant, will increase the overall capacity of the site by 40% by the final quarter of 2024. 

The group’s previous investment in the site in 2021 increased production capacity by more than 20% to 4.3 million tires per year.

The new expansion project will create 126 new permanent jobs.

Opened in 2006, Bridgestone's plant in Camaçari, currently employs more than 1,300 employees and produces tires for passenger cars, vans, and pick-up trucks.

In addition to the Bahia plant, Bridgestone operates another tire factory in Santo André, Sao Paulo, where it produces passenger car, truck & bus, as well off-road farm and earthmover tires.

It also operates two Bandag retread factories, located in Campinas, Sao Paulo, and Mafra, Santa Catarina.