End of an Era in Oklahoma City

The final tyre has been produced at the Bridgestone/Firestone plant in Oklahoma City only eight months after Bridgestone Firestone North America announced its impending closure. The plant produced budget tyres for the low-end segment of the market, a market where demand has been shrinking in the face of vigorous overseas competition.

The tyremaker has disclosed that the Oklahoma City facility, which had a daily output of more than 26,000 tyres, recorded a loss of US$40 million (£20.5 million).

In total, more than 1,400 jobs have been lost as a result of the 37 year-old plant’s closure, including those workers who were laid off in October. Company and union representatives are still negotiating plant-closure benefits for the affected workers.