Based in Japan, Bridgestone Corporation is the world’s largest tyre and rubber company.
On the back of offering what it calls a “very competitive technical package,” Bridgestone has secured primary original equipment fitment for the recently launched Peugeot 208. The tyre maker will supply its EP25 in size 185/65R15 88T as the predominant tyre on Peugeot 208 models with 15-inch rims and Potenza RE050A in size 205/45R17 88V as the sole 17-inch fitment.
Recently appointed Bridgestone CEO Masaaki Tsuya has spoken candidly about the tyre maker’s future against a backdrop of increasing competition from Asian manufacturers and global economic challenges. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Tsuya stated that Bridgestone must focus on high-end and more specialised products in order to survive. "We will lose if we make similar products using similar production methods (to our competitors)," he said.
At an event held on 18 June as part of the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Pirelli presented a number of projects the company plans to implement in Brazil to analyse and reduce the environmental impact resulting from tyre production at its Campinas plant. The projects, which will be conducted in cooperation with Italy’s Ministry for the Environment Land and Sea and the Brazilian state of São Paulo, were presented by Pirelli’s director of sustainability and risk governance, Filippo Bettini, at the conference’s Italian pavilion. Also attending the presentation was Italian environment minister, Corrado Clini, and the chairman of Pirelli Brasile, Paolo Dal Pino.
Round Six of the 2012 MotoGP Championship saw Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo win the British Grand Prix for his third consecutive MotoGP victory. Tyre supplier Bridgestone pronounced itself pleased that the compounds it supplied in its rear slicks allowed riders to perform in milder conditions than may have been anticipated. With rain just about staying clear, track temperatures that were cool for June at 22-28°C were the major concern, but the availability of medium-soft rear slicks, selected by all but Ducati’s Valentino Rossi, allowed the field to combat this coolness. The front soft and medium compound tyres split the riders, including front-runners Lorenzo – on the more durable medium – and Repsol Honda’s Casey Stoner, who selected the soft, which warms up faster. Bridgestone said that the compounds both “worked well” and the close racing between the front-runners was indicative of both tyres’ quality.
Incumbent general counsel for Litigation at Bridgestone Americas, Alan Yarcusko, is to take on the position of director of Technical Standards & Regulations at Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. In his new position, Yarcusko will be responsible for proposing, guiding and promoting tyre standards and regulations on behalf of Bridgestone Americas Tire. His responsibilities also include setting the strategy and direction for future technical standards and regulations and developing proposals in this area based on the global Bridgestone Group’s future innovation and technology directions.
Shares in Transense Technologies rose on Friday 15 June after the sensor systems maker announced its trading division secured a strategic distribution deal with a Saudi group. The group told investors that its IntelliSAW business, a provider of wireless sensor systems for smart grid applications, has entered into a strategic distribution agreement with the energy projects and services division of Saudi Arabia’s Al Mashariq Trading and Contracting Co. The company also makes systems and tools for use in tyre TPMS and RFID applications.
Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations has earmarked a further US$74 million for capacity expansion at its Des Moines, Iowa agricultural tyre plant. This latest investment at the tyre maker’s main North American agricultural tyre facility follows a $77 million investment announced in March 2010; Bridgestone says the two projects confirm its “commitment to maintaining its leadership position in the agricultural tyre industry” and will help the plant meet growing demand for tyres that provide better traction and an increased footprint.
Bridgestone has called for context to be taken into consideration in response to Michelin’s decision to release fleet car tyre wear data that pointed to its tyres lasting the longest. For its part Bridgestone has added further detail, which the company believes shows that its tyres offer the best pence per mile. The tyre manufacturer came to this conclusion by taking Michelin’s own mileage figures and factoring in third party sell-out pricing data produced by Encircle marketing. According to this calculation, when mileages are divided by the initial purchase cost Bridgestone tyres come out on top.
BMW has selected Bridgestone tyres as original equipment for the new BMW 3 Series model. A combination of standard touring and Run Flat Technology (RFT) tyres have been selected to run across the BMW 3 series range. With a strong focus on safety and balanced performance, the chosen tyres have been introduced to the European market for 2012.
While talk of the new tyre labelling rules remains a hot topic, Michelin has released data showing that its products last the longest. Of course treadwear isn’t mentioned on the new label, but Michelin’s long-term survey of a FN50 fleet recorded every tyre change mileage on its vehicles over the last six years for its most popular car, the Ford Focus. Interestingly the company has also reported the results of leading premium competitors Bridgestone, Continental and Pirelli.
Jon Powell has completed the epic Crumball Rally across Europe on a set of Bridgestone Turanza tyres, raising £2,000 for the Friends of Kennel Lane School in Berkshire, where his son is a pupil. Designed to be a low cost event, encouraging drivers to complete the course in a £200 ‘banger’, the Rally ran over three days from 10-12 May. In addition to supplying Powell with the rubber that would see him through the event, Bridgestone also made a £250 donation to his fund.
Bridgestone will bring its soft and medium front slicks and medium-soft, medium (asymmetric) rear slicks to Britain as it looks to provide the high-speed stability and warm-up performance necessary for good tyre performance at Silverstone. The manufacturer and sole tyre supplier to the series says Silverstone’s speed and susceptibility to cold weather make it one of the most challenging circuits on the calendar in terms of tyre development. With rain a distinct possibility, the brand’s wet tyre soft (main) and hard (alternative) compounds may also come into play.
Competition in the high performance tyre market is growing as second line and budget brands bring aggressive performance patterns and larger diameter sizes to market. Established premium tyre makers, who previously had the market all to themselves, now share the performance segment with an abundance of lower-priced products. How can a premium tyre maker maintain its market share in such an environment?
Now the nomination process is over, the NTDA has published details of who is in the running for the 2012 Tyre and Fast Fit Awards’ tyre environment, manufacturer, wholesaler, aftermarket supplier and industry advertiser of the year awards.
Bridgestone recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of its Bari plant in Italy. The tyre maker held an open day for employees and more than 700 attendees, and festivities were attended by local management and Ryutaro Ishii, senior vice-president Manufacturing Bridgestone Europe. During the event, Bridgestone presented awards to long-serving employees and also celebrated 2.5 million work hours with “zero accidents” at the plant.
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