Bridgestone to expand China car tyre plat

ERJ staff report (TB)

Wuxi, China -- Bridgestone Corp. will invest $98 million (Euro over the coming year to boost capacity for passenger radial tyres at its Bridgestone (Wuxi) Tire Co. Ltd. plant in Wuxi by nearly 54 percent to 12,000 units daily.

Bridgestone said the investment reflects the “expected medium- to long-term increase” in demand for radial passenger tires in the China market. Bridgestone recently received approval from the Chinese Authority for investment for the project, which is expected to come on stream starting the second half of 2011.

Production at the Wuxi plant began in July 2004 after an investment of $99 million. It operates with 820 employees. Bridgestone did not say how many new jobs the expansion would create.

The plant, in Jiangsu Province, is one of four tire plants Bridgestone operates in China. It also has domestic capacity for steel cord, synthetic rubber and carbon black.

From Tire Business (A Crain publication)

Press release from Bridgestone