Based in Japan, Bridgestone Corporation is the world’s largest tyre and rubber company.
Bridgestone has introduced the Racing Battlax V01 racing slick, a motorcycle tyre designed for novices and medium class riders for use on race circuits. The manufacturer says the new tyre has its technological roots in Bridgestone’s latest MotoGP compounds and contact area engineering, giving riders increased handling, cornering, and warm-up performance.
Bridgestone Europe has introduced the Exedra Max touring tyre for heavyweight, long distance touring bikes. Available in radial and cross-ply structures with 21 sizes for the front and 20 sizes for the rear, Exedra Max will progressively replace the current Exedra touring line-up in Europe.
At the start of this year, Kumho Tire Europe GmbH appointed a new executive sales director and car dealer key account manager for the German market. Thomas Schlich has taken on the position of executive sales director and in this role he is responsible for the replacement car and truck tyre market business relating to tyre and car dealers throughout Germany. The 47-year old has been employed in the automotive industry for more than 16 years, including nine years in various positions with Bridgestone.
Bridgestone Corporation says it has acquired the land where its Shenyang, China truck and bus tyre plant will be relocated to. In accordance with Shenyang City development policies, which were revised following the urbanisation of the area surrounding the Bridgestone (Shenyang) Tire Co., Ltd plant, production will be moved to the Shenyang Chemical Industry Park. The new site will encompass approximately 395,000 square metres and relocation will involve a total investment of US$99.9 million.
Bridgestone Corporation has announced plans for its Bridgestone Asia Pacific PTE Ltd (BSAP) subsidiary to establish a technical centre in Thailand. The total investment of the project is said to be around 3.7 billion yen, with the opening pencilled in for July 2013.
Bridgestone Ireland has gained a new fleet to be supported by the company’s Truck Point network. Cappoquin Transport Ltd, based in Cappoquin, Co Waterford, offers nationwide delivery service.
American tyre news source Tire Review has broken the news that Bridgestone Americas is to resurrect its Dayton medium truck tyre brand. The manufacturer discontinued the brand on the first day of 2011, and was said to have distributed its remianing inventory in the second half of 2010. Bridgestone issued its own statement on Daton confirming that "renewed interest from drivers, small fleets and managers" had led to the revival of the US manufactured product.
Nine times world champion Valentino Rossi has extended his agreement with Bridgestone Europe to act as motorcycle tyre development adviser. As under the previous agreement, Rossi and the tyre maker will work together to, in Bridgestone’s words, “promote the passion of motorcycling to bikers and enthusiasts throughout Europe, directly supporting the Bridgestone ‘track to street’ concept.” Rossi will act alone as a professional rider; his MotoGP team and sponsors are not involved in the deal.
According to US media reports, Bridgestone Americas intends to increase production of giant mining tyres. Bloomington, Illinois-based newspaper the Pantagraph writes that the Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations factory in the jauntily-named town of Normal will benefit from two expansion projects; these will increase production by around 30 per cent and increase the factory’s workforce by more than 80 employees.
Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations has supplied Firestone tyres to the IZOD IndyCar Series since the league began in 1996, and the tyre maker recently announced it will remain the series’ sole tyre supplier through the 2018 race season. “Firestone performance and safety have been synonymous with IndyCar racing for more than 100 years,” commented Al Speyer, executive director, Firestone Racing. “We are excited about the opportunity to continue the on going success of this series by extending the Firestone brand’s history in the sport through the 2018 season. We treasure the relationships we have fostered with the league, drivers, owners and various other partners involved with the sport through the years, and look forward to continuing our legacy of high performance for which Firestone tires are known.”
The two winners of this year’s Tyrepress.com competition have been decided. Peter Poyntz-Roberts, a Bridgestone UK consumer sales key account manager, and James Lomax from Bury, North Manchester will receive a pair of tickets each to Autosport International 2013 at the Birmingham NEC on 12 or 13 January. The prize will be posted in the first week of January 2013. Thank you to the many readers of Tyrepress.com and Tyres & Accessories who entered the competition and congratulations to both winners. We hope all visitors to the NEC enjoy what will undoubtedly be another great show.
After 38 years with the company, the executive director of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations’ motorsports activities will retire next year. At present no successor has been named.
Bridgestone Australia has provided its Ferrari F2004 Formula One show car to the country’s National Motor Museum on a long-term loan. The car, an exact replica of the racer that won 15 out of 18 races in the 2004 Formula One season and scored 12 pole positions at the hands of Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello, was officially unveiled at the Adelaide-based museum on 12 December.
On 14 December Bridgestone Americas gave word of its recent appointment of a new head of Human Resources. Darrin Rohr was appointed to the role of chief human resource officer, effective 26 November. He succeeds Patti James in this position; James now serves as Bridgestone America’s president of Shared Services, a post she accepted earlier this year.
Bridgestone has expanded its new motorcycle tyre website across Europe with the addition of six new country versions and eight new languages. The site was launched in June 2012 in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish, with content adapted to Europe’s five largest markets. As of 1 December the site has been available in a total of 13 languages, with Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese and Swedish added to the initial five languages. At the same time, specific product-related country versions have been added for Austria, Belgium, Switzerland and Ireland.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.
