Bridgestone Americas Closing Tyre Plant in Chile

(Akron/Tire Review) Bridgestone Americas Holding’s Bridgestone/Firestone Chile S.A. (BFC) unit said it is closing its Coquimbo, Chile, plant at year’s end. The company said that because of “intense competition from low-cost producers, the plant is not globally competitive and is projected to begin losing significant amounts of money with no viable strategy to reverse the losses.” The plant produces mass market and bias ply tyres and bias tyres.

In a statement, BFC said, “The company has weighed all of the alternatives and even with new capital investment, under current market conditions, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to restore the plant to a competitive position.” The 31-year-old plant, which was purchased by BFC in 1999, produces radial and bias ply passenger and light truck tyres, truck and bus, and OTR tyres.