Bridgestone inaugurates Taiwan Bandag plant

Bridgestone Taiwan has announced the establishment of its first Bandag retreading facility in the country. The new truck and bus radial retreading plant in the city of Taichung was officially opened on 15 February. According to an article published by the China Economic News Service the facility has been set up with an investment of NT$110 million (£2.3 million).

A senior manager at Bridgestone Taiwan is quoted by CENS as saying the Japanese company’s decision to establish a retreading facility was driven by its responsibility to protecting the global environment. The manager stated that the Taiwan plant will only retread Bridgestone TBR tyres; casings will be obtained both from domestic sources and imported. Bridgestone Taiwan has set up a new business division in Taiwan to handle the retread market, the CENS article notes.

According to Bridgestone executives, the Bandag plant has just one curing line and initial annual capacity is 12,000 TBR tyres. Capacity increases will be implemented should demand suffice. CENS comments that Bridgestone retreads in Taiwan cost around half that of a new tyre and last about 80 per cent as long; however they are, the news source adds, about five per cent more than those offered by Michelin, who also operates a retreading facility in Taiwan.