IZMIT, Turkey (May 15, 2015) — Turkish tire maker Brisa Bridgestone Sabanci Lastik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S. reported double-digit improvements in sales and earnings last year on the strength of higher domestic and export revenue.
Brisa's operating and net income jumped 28.6 and 29.1 percent, respectively, to $115.2 million and $81.4 million. Sales rose 13.7 percent to $793.5, resulting in an operating ratio of 15.6 percent, up from 13.8 percent in 2013.
Brisa, the No. 37 tire maker worldwide in 2013, broke ground in 2014 on a $300 million car and light truck tire plant in Aksaray Province, which is expected on stream in 2018 with a nameplate capacity of 4.2 million units a year.
The plant will cover 129,100 square feet on a 10 million square feet plot of land.
A joint venture between Japan's Bridgestone Corp. and Turkish industrial conglomerate Sabanci Holdings, Brisa celebrated its 40th anniversary last year.
Brisa made $78.9 million in capital investments last year, including $59.7 million toward modernizing and expanding capacity at the firm's Izmit plant, where production rose 9 percent to 10 million units.
Brisa also added Bridgestone's Dayton associate brand to the Lassa and Bridgestone brands it sells in Turkey.
