Based in Japan, Bridgestone Corporation is the world’s largest tyre and rubber company.
Michael Schumacher has threatened to quit Formula One at the end of the year, according to an exclusive report in the UK newspaper, Sunday People. The article says that the seven times world champion has warned he will walk away from Ferrari if tyre manufactures Bridgestone don’t listen to him.
(Akron/Tire Review) Bridgestone Corp. confirmed May 22 that it would build an $81 million (63 million euros) carbon black plant in Mexico to service its worldwide tyre plants. The new site would be Bridgestone’s third carbon black plant; the others are located in Japan and Thailand. The new facility is scheduled to begin production in June 2008, and will have an initial annual capacity of 35,000 tons.
Bridgestone is responding to the fitment of run-flat tyres on a growing number of vehicles by giving expert guidance to technicians at BMW dealerships. To date 15 franchises comprising 22 individual outlets have completed the tyre manufacturer’s comprehensive Run-Flat Certificate Programme. It follows the fitment of Bridgestone’s Turanza ER300 RFT and Potenza RE050 RFT tyres as original equipment on BMW models such as the 1-Series, 3-Series, 5-Series and Z4.
Bridgestone e-reporter finalist Donna Law, from Merton, London, is the youngest and only female Bridgestone e-reporter finalist in 2006. In the second phase of the pan-European competition for young sports journalists, Donna Law attended the Spanish Grand Prix as a roving reporter in the GP2 series paddock.
Bridgestone Sweden is to supply tyre services to Vagverket Produktion (a company within the Swedish Road Association). The three year contract will see the company provide a complete range of tyre services for vehicles including passenger cars, trucks and OTR vehicles. The contract will be managed through the national Truck Point service network.
(Akron/Tire Review) Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire’s Bridgestone Turanza EL 42 has gained an OE spot on the new Mazda CX-7 crossover vehicle. The T-rated tyre will be fitted in size P235/60R18.
(Akron/Tire Review) After more than a year of silence, Pasadena attorney Joe Lisoni has begun attacking Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire (BFNAT), filing his fifth petition with NHTSA calling for the recall of some 30 million Firestone Steeltex tyres. Lisoni’s latest petition, according to reports, cites five traffic accident deaths in 2005 that he claims were caused by the tyres.
Lisoni’s previous state and federal court efforts to force a recall of Firestone Steeltex lines have all failed. Lisoni began his quest against the tyremaker back in August 2002.
Bridgestone Aircraft Tire has announced that it will open a plant in Rockingham County, North Carolina, creating 95 new jobs and investing $13.5 million over the next three years. Bridgestone will move operations to Rockingham County from its Miami, Florida facility. The company will manufacture tyres for commercial jets at a new, 160,000-square-foot building in Mayodan. While wages will vary by job function, the expected average weekly wage of the new jobs will be $680 plus benefits, according to Governer Mike Easley. The Rockingham County average weekly wage is $547.
Liberian labour minister, Kofi Wood, has given managers at Firestone’s Harbel, Liberia rubber plantation 90-days to improve workers’ living conditions. “We have asked the Firestone management to improve the living conditions of the workers,” Wood told Reuters by telephone. “We have given them 90 days.” The minister did not say what the consequences of failing to meet the deadline might be.
Michael Schumacher Bridgestone-shod Ferrari has won the European GP in front of home crowds to give Bridgestone its 97th win since entering Formula One in 1997. The result was Schumacher’s 86th win of his career. After a race-long battle, Schumacher beat the Michelin equipped Renault of Fernando Alonso into second place. Ferrari and Bridgestone’s Felipe Massa completed the podium.
(Akron/Tire Review) The United Steelworkers (USW) stated goal of protecting job security will certainly be challenged as formal negotiations begin next month for new master contracts between the Steelworkers and Goodyear, Bridgestone/Firestone and Michelin. The talks will begin against a backdrop of ever-increasing raw material, benefit and legacy costs that have forced global outsourcing of production in order to maintain profitability.
The Fulda Progesso performance summer tyre has won two categories in the latest summer tyre test of German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, part of Europe’s most popular network of car magazines. Ranking first, in two critical areas: ‘traction and ‘aquaplaning,’ Fulda Progresso beat off strong competition from 10 other tyre brands achieving 20 out of 20 in aquaplaning and 10 out of 10 in traction.
(Akron/Tire Review) Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire (BFNAT) plans to close its single largest tyre plant by the end of this year. BFNAT has issued a required Notice of Potential Plant Closure with the United Steelworks (USW) regarding its Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, plant, and said that “global market forces have made it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to restore the plant to a competitive position, even with significant new capital investment.”
Bridgestone Corp. reported first quarter 2006 sales of 704.7 billion yen, up 16.7 per cent compared to the same period in 2005, resulting in a 4 per cent bump in quarterly net profits to $239 million.
The company said that strong global sales helped offset heavy increases in raw material costs. Bridgestone said its tyre sales in Japan rose 10 per cent for the quarter, while sales in the US increased 25 per cent, and sales in Europe increased 13 per cent. Sales elsewhere jumped 37 per cent, Bridgestone said.
For 70 years, the Pneuservice Group has operated as a leader in tyre distribution. As one of the largest import/export distributors in Italy, Pneuservice deals with everything from scooter to passenger car, truck, and earthmover tyres, trading more than two million tyres per year. The group’s offices, depots, and more than 230 franchises are spread throughout Italy and are renowned for fast, efficient and courteous service.
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