Bridgestone Canada Receives State Funds for Plant Modernisation Work

Bridgestone Canada will receive funds from the Province of Quebec to assist in the upgrading of its Joliette facility. More than CA$40 million (£22.7 million) is to be invested in purchasing new equipment for the passenger car and light commercial vehicle tyre factory, including a government contribution of $4.8 million. The non-repayable government contribution, comments the department, is aimed at improving the plant’s productivity.

“This investment reflects Bridgestone’s confidence in our plant and workforce,” stated Robert Verreault, general manager of the Joliette plant. “In the past few years, we’ve developed a partnering model with the union in order to rally all our employees around common objectives. I can see the commitment of our employees every day, as they develop modes of operation that set us apart from the other Bridgestone plants. By joining forces with the Québec government, we’ll be able to strengthen and enhance our plant’s reputation for excellence.”

“When it comes to international investment, competition is fierce across the board,” added Quebec Province minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade Clément Gignac. “Subsidiaries obviously have to deal with external competition, but internal competition can also be significant. When a company like Bridgestone Canada wants to negotiate new mandates and maintain its operations in Québec, the Québec government is behind it.”

The Joliette facility, which employs 1,200 workers and primarily services the US market, is Bridgestone’s only tyre manufacturing site in Canada.