Bridgestone Firestone Begins Dayton Plant Closure Programme

Back in April, Bridgestone Firestone North America gave notice that the Dayton plant in Oklahoma City would be closed down by the end of the year. The first tranche of layoffs has begun, with around 400 of the 1,400-strong workforce being told that they will lose their jobs by the end of this month.

Bridgestone Firestone blamed overseas competition and falling demand for tyres manufactured at the factory for the proposed closure and revealed that the plant, which produces over 26,000 tyres daily, lost US$40 million in 2005.