Bridgestone China Opens Test Facility

On March 14 a ceremony was held to officially mark the opening of Bridgestone China’s new tyre testing facility in Yixing City, Jiangsu Province. More than 100 people attended this significant occasion for the tyre major’s Chinese operations, including Hideki Yokoyama, vice president and officer for Product Planning and Business Development, numerous municipal and city officials and media representatives.

At the opening ceremony Mr. Yokoyama commented that the new Bridgestone (China) Tire Assessment & Development Co., Ltd. test facility would further strengthen the development of Bridgestone’s tyre production and sales in China, and thus contribute to the development of China’s automotive industry.

Included in the track’s range of features is a 900 metre straight section for high-speed performance tests and curved sections for performance and handling tests. Bridgestone comments that the natural terrain has been utilised in the track’s constructions. Plans for the facility were initially announced in September 2005, and a total of US$25 million has been invested into developing the 839,000 square metre proving ground. The facility was originally scheduled to open in June 2007.