JAPANESE firm Bridgestone has identified Arizona in the US to locate its guayule research farm. The 281-acre agricultural site in Eloy will include a multi-purpose office/laboratory building, greenhouses and a farming operation to develop guayule as a commercially viable source of natural rubber, as an alternative to the Hevea tree.
Moreover, it will supply guayule to the company’s 32-staff process centre located in nearby Mesa City.
The ground breaking is anticipated late this year or early 2013 and operations will start up in 2014.
Collaborating in this project are Bridgestone Americas Tyre Operations (BATO), which has undertaken the selection of the site leveraging on the technical expertise of its US research centre and the Akron Technical Centre, and the parent company that will provide the funding and strategic inputs. (PRA)
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