News - 2016

Bridgestone Announces Plans to Increase Aircraft Radial Tire Production Capacity at Kurume Plant

2016/10/17

TOKYO (October 17, 2016) - Bridgestone Corporation today announced that it has decided to increase the capacity of its manufacturing plant at Kurume, Japan to produce more aircraft radial tires (APR) to respond to the strong medium-to-long-term global demand projected for these tires. This production capacity increase will entail a total investment of JPY2.1 billion and is slated for completion by the end of 2018.

The Bridgestone Group's aircraft tire operations represent a solutions business built for global scale. This business combines new tires, retread tires, and technical services to respond to the sophisticated needs of aircraft manufacturers and airlines worldwide. Currently, new APR are produced at the Kurume Plant and the Tokyo AP Plant. The company also manufactures retread aircraft tires and provides other services in regions around the world, including Japan, the United States, Belgium, and China. By increasing the production capacity of the Kurume Plant, Bridgestone aim's to enhance global supply systems and further boost competitiveness domestically and abroad.

At the same time, this capacity increase will contribute to enhance the Group's overall aircraft tire solutions operations and help Bridgestone better respond to the growing and ever more diverse needs of customers.

Kurume Plant

Aircraft radial tire

In addition to aircraft tires, the Kurume Plant produces a wide range of other tires, including passenger car tires, light truck tires, racing tires, and tires for agricultural and industrial machinery. This plant is also used as a training site at which Group employees from around the world gather to learn about the Bridgestone spirit. The Kurume Plant has thus continued to serve as Bridgestone's core factory, playing a central role in fulfilling its mission of "Serving Society with Superior Quality"for 85 years since the Company's founding.

Bridgestone is pushing forward with technological and business model innovations to accomplish its ultimate goals of "becoming a truly global company" and achieving "Dan-Totsu (Japanese term for the absolute and clear leader) in all aspects of its businesses." To this end, Bridgestone is advancing this solutions business, which goes beyond offering standalone products. Bridgestone pursues the creation of value for our customers by heightening product and service quality through innovations and improvements in all areas of the value chain, spanning from product development to procurement, production, supply, and sales.

Overview of the Kurume Plant (As of June 30, 2016)

1. Location	:105 Kyo-machi, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan
2. Representative	:Tomohiro Kusano
3. Established	:March, 1931
4. Area	:Approx. 430,000 square meters
5. Employees	:1,089
6. Production	:Tires for passenger cars, light trucks, aircraft, racing, agricultural machinery, and industrial machinery

Overview of Other Aircraft Tire Sites (As of June 30, 2016)

Tokyo AP Plant	：Production of aircraft radial tires and retread aircraft tires
BRIDGESTONE Aircraft Tire (USA), Inc.	：Import and sale of new aircraft tires and manufacture and sale of retread aircraft tires
BRIDGESTONE Aircraft Tire (EUROPE), S.A.	：Import and sale of new aircraft tires and manufacture and sale of retread aircraft tires
BRIDGESTONE Aircraft Tire Company (ASIA), LTD.	：Import and sale of new aircraft tires and manufacture and sale of retread aircraft tires
BRIDGESTONE Aircraft Tire Company (CHINA), LTD.	：Import and sale of new aircraft tires and manufacture and sale of retread aircraft tires

About Bridgestone Corporation:
Bridgestone Corporation (BSJ), 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.