Bridgestone announces €160m investment at Japanese mining tire plant

Tokyo — Bridgestone Corp. has announced plans to invest Yen25 billion (€157 million) to upgrade equipment for certain facilities at its earthmover and mining tire production facility in Kitakyushu, Japan.

The Japanese group expects to complete the upgrade by the end of 2027, delivering “value over volume” as it strengthens its off-the-road (OTR) tire business.

Operational since 2009, the Kitakyushu plant is the group’s strategic global production base for OTR tires, said Bridgestone 6 Aug.

The facility employs 575 people and as of January this year, produces 170 tonnes per day of tires.

The investment, part of Bridgestone’s mid-term business plan 2024-2026, will ensure a high quality and stable supply.

It will also elevate the level of safety, disaster prevention, eco-friendliness, quality, and productivity.

Furthermore, the investment will enhance production technology for the future generation of Bridgestone’s flagship Mastercore tires, which it claims realise “ultrahigh durability.”

The tires, Bridgestone said, will combine “new unique technologies” including in-house manufactured steel cord.

“Mastercore enables us to provide the optimal performance customised to each customer’s need and the operating condition of each vehicle,” said the Japanese group.

Since its launch in August 2020, the ‘Mastercore’ technology has been deployed across 100 mines globally, according to Bridgestone.

The optimal performance and the value of the tires, it added, have been recognised by "many mining companies." 

Furthermore, Bridgestone is expanding its mining solutions to through strong physical capabilities, such as field engineering services as sites, and digital technologies such as AI-driven tires and vehicle data analysis.