Bridgestone to Build Synthetic Rubber Plant for China

(Akron/Tire Review) Bridgestone Corp plans to spend some $100 million to build a synthetic rubber factory in China, which the company said is necessary to meet growing demand worldwide.

Bridgestone said the new plant will be built in Huizhou in the Guangdong province, and will start operating in the first half of 2008 with an initial capacity of 50,000 tons. It will be Bridgestone’s third synthetic rubber plant in the world.

The Tokyo-based tyre and rubber company announced in October that it would spend upwards of $5.2 billion over the next three years to boost its global tyre output.