Bridgestone to expand Japan aero tire plant (updated)

TOKYO (Oct. 17, 2016) — Bridgestone Corp. plans to increase capacity for radial aircraft tires at its plant in Kurume, Japan, to meet what it terms projected “strong medium-to-long-term global demand” for these tires.

Bridgestone is budgeting $20.1 million through year-end 2018 for the project, which the company said “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.”

• NOTE: the investment figure has been changed; Bridgestone initially released the figure as $2.1 billion, then revised it to 2.1 billion yen.

Bridgestone did not quantify the size of the capacity expansion at Kurume, where it also produces passenger, light truck, agricultural, industrial and racing tires. Capacity is listed as 10,080 units a day.

The 85-year-old plant covers 4.6 million square feet and employs 1,089. The factory also is used as a training site for Bridgestone employees globally, playing a “central role in fulfilling its mission of ‘Serving Society with Superior Quality' for 85 years.”