Bridgestone consolidating tire production in Brazil

London – Bridgestone Corp. is consolidating its operations in Brazil with planned changes, in particular, at its tire production facility in Santo Andre, Sao Paulo.

In a 15 May written statement to ERJ, Bridgestone Brazil confirmed that it had notified employees and unions about the reorganisation of its operations in the country.

As a result, the Santo Andre facility, which currently has capacity to manufacture 20,200 tires/day, "will focus on truck tires, agricultural tires, off-road tires and Firestone Airide airless tires."

Production of PRC and light truck tires will be concentrated in Bahia, which is currently undergoing a major expansion programme.

Last September, Bridgestone announced a BRL270-million (€52 million) investment in the “modernisation and expansion” of the site, in the eastern state of Bahia.

The project followed a BRL700-million expansion project the year before, which raised production capacity at the facility by 20% to 4.3 million PRC tires per year.

The latest move, to be completed by the yearend, is part of an ongoing programme to “ensure competitiveness and determine the best allocation of resources”, said Bridgestone.

The decision will aim to “optimise portfolio, processes and culture to meet customers’ needs and align with market conditions,” the statement added.

While confirming that the process would result in an “adjustment of workforce”, Bridgestone Brazil did not provide further details on job cuts or capacity adjustments.

Local media reports suggest that the move is expected to impact 600 of the 3,400 employees in Santo Andre.