News - 2016

Bridgestone to Build New Aircraft Tire Solutions Bases in Thailand

2016/12/22

Tokyo (December 22, 2016) - Bridgestone Corporation today announced plans to construct two new manufacturing plants in Thailand. One plant will produce new aircraft tires, while the second plant will produce retread aircraft tires.^*1 The total investment will be approximately JPY15.0 billion (USD 150 million^*2) and both new plants are scheduled to start production in December 2019. The Bridgestone Group has been operating in Thailand for roughly half a century, and the establishment of new plants in this country is expected to further contribute to its economic and industrial development.

The Bridgestone Group's aircraft tire solutions business combines products, such as new and retread tires, with services to deliver solutions for the issues faced by both aircraft manufacturers and airlines. Bridgestone leverages its strengths of new, retread tires and service networks and will continue to work together with aircraft manufacturers and airlines to create new value that ensures safe and secure aircraft operation.

As part of the Bridgestone Group's commitment to the development of a sustainable society^*3, these two plants cater to reduced CO2 emissions, while also acting as business bases to support its aircraft tire solutions system with new and retread tires.

Aircraft radial tire

*1. Retread tires are tires made by removing the treads of used tires and applying freshly vulcanized new treads so that the body of the tire can be reused. Retread tires have the following environmental benefits when compared to new tires
1. Reduced resource usage due to lower requirement for use of natural rubber and other raw materials
2. Lower CO2 emissions than would result from manufacturing new tires
3. Less disposal of tires as waste due to extended tire lifespan

*2. Calculated at USD 1=JPY 100

*3. The Bridgestone Group's global Environmental Mission Statement continues to portray the Group's unchanging environmental philosophy - "To help ensure a healthy environment for current and future generations." The Group committed to contributing to the realization of a sustainable society by balancing its business activities with the Earth's capacity to coexist in harmony with nature, even as it continues to meet the various needs of consumers worldwide.

Overview of Aircraft Tire Solution Sites (As of November 30, 2016)

Kurume Plant (Kurume, Fukuoka)	：Manufacture of new aircraft radial and bias tires as well as tires for passenger cars, light trucks, racing, agricultural machinery, and industrial machinery
Tokyo AP Plant (Kodaira, Tokyo)	：Manufacture of aircraft radial tires and retread aircraft tires
BRIDGESTONE Aircraft Tire (USA), Inc. (North Carolina, U.S.A.)	：Import and sale of new aircraft tires and manufacture and sale of retread aircraft tires
BRIDGESTONE Aircraft Tire (EUROPE), S.A. (Frameries, Belgium)	：Import and sale of new aircraft tires and manufacture and sale of retread aircraft tires
BRIDGESTONE Aircraft Tire Company (ASIA), LTD. (Hong Kong, China)	：Import and sale of new aircraft tires and manufacture and sale of retread aircraft tires
BRIDGESTONE Aircraft Tire Company (CHINA), LTD. (Quingdao, China)	：Import and sale of new aircraft tires and manufacture and sale of retread aircraft tires

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.