THE world’s largest tyre maker Bridgestone is putting in more investments in Japan, the US and Vietnam. At its home base in Hofu, Japan, it will invest 4.7 billion yen to increase capacity of small and medium-sized
off-the-road radial (ORR) tyres for construction and mining vehicles. The aim is to increase the plant’s capacity to 94 tonnes/day during the first quarter of 2014.
Even though Bridgestone has increased capacity at its Thai and Indonesian plants to supply radial tyres for
passenger cars (PSRs) in these markets, it is going ahead with its Vietnamese plant to respond to continuing
growth. Thus, it will invest 35.5 billion yen to set up a plant to produce (PSRs).
Production will begin in the first half of 2014 at the Vietnamese plant that will have a capacity of 24,700 tyres/day after the ramp-up is completed in the first half of 2016. The output will be exported to Europe and the US.
In the US, the Japanese company broke ground on a new ORR tyre facility recently. The company is also
adding on an extra 474,000-sq ft expansion to the existing PSR and light truck (LTR) tyre plant in Aiken County.
The company had previously announced a 266,000-sq ft expansion of the PSR/LTR plant in July this year. When fully completed, the three projects will total a US$1.2 billion investment in the country. (PRA)
Asia's First E-Magazine for the Rubber Industry