Further Expansion Planned for Bridgestone’s Karawang Plant

Around 4.3 billion yen (₤31.3 million) is to be invested in Bridgestone’s Karawang factory in Indonesia. Company subsidiary P.T. Bridgestone Tire Indonesia will use this sum to expand passenger car and light tuck tyre radial capacity at the plant by 3,000 units a day to 29,400 units. This capacity level is anticipated to be reached by the first half of 2012.

The 367,500 square metre Karawang plant began production in September 1999, supplying passenger car and light truck tyres to both the domestic market and key overseas markets, including North America and Europe. An existing project to expand the facility’s daily capacity by 8,400 units, announced in August 2007, is expected to be completed this year. However, with global demand expected to continue growing, the Bridgestone Group determined further expansion is necessary to meet market demands.

Bridgestone’s Indonesian subsidiary is 54.3 per cent owned by Bridgestone Corporation and has been in operation since September 1973. As of the end of last year it employed 3,288 staff.