ULYANOVSK, Russia (Sept. 15, 2016) — Bridgestone Corp. has completed the construction of its plant in Ulyanovsk and plans to initiate production before year-end, according to a company source.
The company recently held a ceremony to mark the milestone. The $375 million passenger tire facility in the Zavolzhye industrial zone in Ulyanovsk Oblast originally was expected to come on stream in the first half of 2016.
Production capacity of the plant is to reach around 12,000 units a day in 2018 and mainly comprise winter tires for the Russia/CIS market, Bridgestone said.
Around 800 jobs will be created at the plant, operated by Bridgestone Tire Manufacturing CIS L.L.C., a company jointly established by Bridgestone and minority partner Mitsubishi Corp., with a 10-percent equity holding.
Mitsubishi also is expected to take an equity stake in Bridgestone CIS LLC (BSCIS), a sales company established in Moscow by Bridgestone.
The plant is Bridgestone's first in Russia and eighth in Europe.
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This report appeared on the website of European Rubber Journal, a United Kingdom-based sister publication of Tire Business.