Based in Japan, Bridgestone Corporation is the world’s largest tyre and rubber company.
Taking your car in for its annual MOT test and a new set of tyres is rarely an experience to remember – but for one Lincolnshire motorist, the occasion was an event that will live long in the memory, as it resulted in her becoming the proud owner of a brand spanking new BMW 1 Series.
Sigmavision has announced the findings of a recent survey conducted in collaboration with Bridgestone and First Stop at the recent Sky Sports British Masters golf event. The company’s technicians surveyed 2,400 cars over two days away from the fairways and greens at The Grove, measuring tyre tread depths with Sigmavision’s TreadReader handheld scanners. The results of the survey back up Bridgestone’s hypothesis that motorists currently do not make the regular checks necessary to ensure their tyres are safe.
At a meeting held in Brussels on 24 November to mark the first anniversary of the European Pact for Youth, Eduardo Minardi, executive chairman of Bridgestone EMEA, reiterated Bridgestone’s support for the programme. Speaking after the meeting, Minardi stated: “At Bridgestone, we are committed to making a continued contribution towards increasing youth training and inclusion in the work force. This includes more than 700 apprenticeships, traineeships and entry level jobs at our sales, retail, R&D and manufacturing sites across Europe under the Pact for Youth.”
The model change the YZF-R6 will undergo next year is the first revision for the popular Yamaha bike in almost a decade. The 2017 model features new low-drag bodywork, advanced electronics and next level aerodynamics, and Bridgestone reports that its Battlax Hypersport S21 has been selected as an original equipment tyre. The YZF-R6 will wear the Battlax Hypersport S21 in size 120/70ZR17 M/C (58W) on the front and 180/55ZR17 M/C (73W) at the rear.
Maserati has selected Bridgestone tyres for the new Levante, the brand’s first-ever SUV. The all-wheel-drive SUV began leaving the company’s Mirafiori plant near Turin in May 2016, fitted with Bridgestone Dueler H/P Sport tyres in size 255/60 R18 108W. Tyres supplied to Maserati will wear the initials ‘MGT’ on the sidewall to indicate the manufacturer’s approval of the Dueler H/P Sport as original equipment on its vehicles.
Firestone’s Battle of the Bands talent search is back. The Bridgestone second line tyre brand is seeking the most talented bands in the UK, culminating in a performance on the Firestone Stage at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham on 7 December. The social networking-based campaign will be run in partnership with the arena and Professional Music Technology (PMT), which will provide music equipment as an invaluable additional prize to the winning act.
Bridgestone has launched the new Battlecross X10 motocross tyre for sand terrain. The tyre features a new tread design and increased block deformation, promising riders stronger traction, better self-cleaning and higher sideslip control in all types of sandy conditions. The tyre was developed and tested by top riders on the MX competition circuit.
Bridgestone recently gave a presentation to the Japanese Cabinet Office on the subject of its “ImPACT” resource saving, strength increasing tyre polymer research project conduction in association with Tokyo University. The project, which seeks to bring government, industry and academia together are to: developing high-strength materials, making each component thinner and lighter; and to improve fuel economy and save resources through weight saving and increased durability as well as reduced fuel consumption. Initial results suggest the scientists “succeeded in the development of materials that [offer]…a 60 per cent reduction in wear rate.”
This week is EICMA week in Italy, and hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to attend this year’s show in Milan. Bridgestone will once again be present as an exhibitor, and is unveiling two new tyre lines – the Battlecruise H50 and Battlecross X10.
Paolo Ferrari, who was recently named president and chief executive officer of Bridgestone Corporation’s Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) business unit and joined Bridgestone on 19 September 2016, will as of next year take on the additional position of chief operating officer of Bridgestone Europe NV/SA. This change takes effect 1 January 2017 and sees Ferrari succeed Yves Kerstens.
Firestone has targeted “shaking up the mid-price tyre segment in Europe” with its new Roadhawk, a car tyre engineered for endurance and safety. The Bridgestone brand says its Roadhawk targets mainstream motorists who drive all types of journeys – urban, highway, commute, school run, shopping – on a daily basis. The brand adds that these drivers want a tyre that gives them long-lasting performance in road conditions where wet weather, heavy traffic, sudden braking, and motorway speed are all part of the daily mix.
When it comes to choosing the most suitable tyre for the winter months ahead, Firestone declares that its Multiseason represents the most compelling proposition for motorists. It is, in the words of Firestone brand manager Stuart Attfield, the ideal “halfway house” to combat the unpredictable conditions so often encountered in the UK.
Bridgestone presented three amateur golfers the chance to play with a major winning star and household name of the sport at the pro-am of the British Masters, supported by Sky Sports. The Bridgestone DriveGuard Trophy winning trio teed off with 2010 US Open winner Graeme McDowell at The Grove. Carl Broomfield, Peter Carr and Zack Rosen beat up to 20,000 amateurs across England by winning the tyre manufacturer’s amateur event, which engaged with around 200 clubs this year. Bridgestone Tyres was the official partner of the European Tour competition, eventually won by Swedish star Alex Noren.
Bridgestone recently announced its intention to increase capacity for radial aircraft tyre production at its Kurume plant in Japan. The company has now amended the statement it released on 17 October, changing the investment amount; rather than investing US$2.1 billion in the project as previously reported, Bridgestone states that the actual investment figure is 2.1 billion yen (£16.5 million).
Capacity for radial aircraft tyre production at Bridgestone’s Kurume plant in Japan is set to increase in response to an anticipated rise in demand for these products over the medium to long-term. Bridgestone Corporation will invest a total of US$2.1 billion in the project; while the company hasn’t reported the size of its planned capacity increase, it states that the project should be complete by the end of 2018.
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