Bridgestone marks 50 years of Béthune production

More than 2,300 visitors recently attended an open day at Bridgestone’s factory in Béthune, France, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the plant’s opening. The event on June 11 included guided tours of the factory, an exhibition on the plant’s history and an official ceremony overseen by Bruno Capron, managing director, Bridgestone France Manufacturing. Also representing Bridgestone at the half-century commemoration were Ryutaro Ishii, senior vice-president Manufacturing and Yoshihiko Fujimoto, vice-president HR Europe & Corporate Affairs.

When it opened in 1961, the Béthune plant brought investment and employment to a region of northern France that had been hard hit by mining closures. Over the following 50 years Béthune produced more than 241 million tyres and has employed 8700 people, some of them from three generations of the same family. The facility is now the largest employer in Béthune and the third largest manufacturing employer in the Pas-de-Calais region of France. “We are delighted that so many local residents came to mark the occasion; it reflects the important role that the Béthune plant plays in the community,” commented Bruno Capron.

Initially, the Béthune plant produced 4,000 Firestone tyres a day and employed 640 people. Capacity expanded steadily and reached a daily output of 12,500 tyres by 1973. In 1991, following Bridgestone’s global acquisition of Firestone, the plant produced its first Bridgestone-branded tyre. Production increased to 22,000 tyres a day. Today, 75 per cent of production is oriented towards high-performance passenger car tyres, including winter tyres. Current production capacity is 25,000 tyres a day and the Béthune site boasts a 1,300 strong workforce.