Caterpillar ‘Platinum’ certification for 4 Bridgestone tyre plants

Four tyre plants in Japan and the Americas are amongst seven Bridgestone Corporation facilities to receive Caterpillar Inc.’s highest Supplier Quality Excellence Process (SQEP) rating. The manufacturer of construction and mining equipment has awarded Platinum Level certification to Bridgestone’s Hofu and Shimonoseki (Japan), Des Moines (USA) and Santo André (Brazil) plants. In addition, Caterpillar has also granted Platinum Level certification to the Bridgestone rubber track production facility in Kumamoto, Japan and its hydraulic hose factories in Hyogo, Japan and Jacksonville, USA.

SQEP is a programme through which Caterpillar promotes ongoing improvements in quality by suppliers. Platinum Level certification is only awarded to suppliers that are able to consistently deliver products and services of impeccable quality. The Bridgestone facilities selected for the recognition were selected from among the tens of thousands of suppliers that serve Caterpillar from around the globe.

The plants were selected for Platinum Level certification last year. For Bridgestone’s Santo André facility, this was the eighth consecutive year that it been given this status. The Shimonoseki has received it for five consecutive years, and the Hofu and Des Moines plants for three years in a row.