News - 2013

Bridgestone to Increase Passenger Car Radial Tire Production Capacity at Wuxi Plant in China

— Capacity Increase to Meet Rising Demand for High-Performance Tires —

2013/10/29

Tokyo (October 29, 2013) - Bridgestone Corporation today announced that its group company, Bridgestone (Wuxi) Tire Co., Ltd., which operates a passenger car radial tire plant in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China, will increase production capacity at the Wuxi Plant by approximately 5,300 tires a day. The capacity increase is expected to be complete in the second half of 2016, at which time daily production capacity at the plant is expected to reach approximately 22,600 tires per day. The total investment for the capacity increase is estimated to be 852 million yuan (approximately ¥11.5 billion).

An increase in demand for passenger car tires in China is forecast over the medium to long term, and the capacity increase at the Wuxi Plant will enhance Bridgestone's ability to supply tires in the high-performance sector of the market, a sector expected to see high growth in the future.

The Bridgestone Group is continuously optimizing its production and supply systems in order to respond more rapidly to changing global market trends and provide our customers with high-quality products in a timely manner.

1. Company name	: Bridgestone (Wuxi) Tire Co., Ltd.
2. Location	: Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China (about 120 kilometers west of Shanghai)
3. Representative	: Masayuki Kuribayashi
4. Ownership	: Bridgestone Corporation 100% (including indirect ownership)
5. Plant site	: Approximately 290,000 square meters
6. Products	: Passenger car radial tires
7. Start of operation	: July 2004
8. Number of employees	: 1,267 employees (As of the end of September 2013)

About Bridgestone Corporation:
Bridgestone Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, is the world’s largest tire and rubber company. In addition to tires for use in a wide variety of applications, it also manufactures a broad range of diversified products, which include industrial rubber and chemical products and sporting goods. Its products are sold in over 150 nations and territories around the world.