Further Expansion At Amtel
Amtel’s latest 5500 tyres per day production line has gone into operation. The $50 million “Kirov-II” line will produce approximately 2 million tyres per year, raising annual production at the complex to 7 million units.
Based in Japan, Bridgestone Corporation is the world’s largest tyre and rubber company.
Tag Archive for: Bridgestone
Bridgestone Awarded Investors in People accreditation
Product NewsBridgestone UK has been awarded the Investors in People (IIP) accreditation, following a detailed audit of the company’s working practices. The IIP standard is a government-led business improvement tool designed to advance an organisation’s performance through its people, and provides strategies for managing people effectively, nurturing talent, and ensuring equal opportunities.
“This award is a ‘pat-on-the-back’ for the company and its employees,” said John McNaught, managing director of Bridgestone UK. “It shows that we are committed to providing our employees with a stimulating and rewarding place to work, communicating effectively, and working hard to provide opportunities for personal development.” The company will now be the subject of three-yearly independent inspections to confirm the maintenance of high standards in order for the IIP accreditation to be retained.
Bridgestone Gain IMI Accreditation
Product NewsBridgestone UK’s assessment centre has gained the Institute of Motor Industry (IMI), approval, making it the first tyre company to hold the status for all its training modules.
The award follows a detailed audit by the IMI of Bridgestone UK’s training resources and assessment procedures. It will now mean that a technician qualifying through one of the company’s training schemes will achieve recognition from the IMI via its Quality Assured Awards (QAA) initiative.
Ducati Bridgestone Test Tyres
Product NewsDucati Corse CEO Claudio Domenicali has announced that it is to set-up a special tyre test team in collaboration with Bridgestone, reports MotoGP News.
The MotoGP project will see Japanese rider, Shinichi Itoh, become the official test-rider alongside a group of technicians, including a Ducati Corse engineer.
Bridgestone Australia Predicts Poor 2005 Results
Product NewsBridgestone Australia is predicting that its 2005 results will suffer “significantly” because of a rise in raw material prices, reports Fairfax news site.
The manufacturer recorded a $10.86 million (£4 million) net profit in 2004, which was up 1.9 per cent on the previous year.
“As predicted in our October and December 2004 stock exchange releases, raw material prices increased significantly in the last quarter of 2004,” Bridgestone said.
Board Changes at Bridgestone Australia
Product NewsBridgestone Australia has announced that Mr Junichi Otsuka has resigned as a director of the company. The decision will take effect as of 18 February when Mr Otsuka will begin a new overseas assignment. In response Mr Shin Yamasaki, currently based in Spain, has been appointed as a director of the company from the same date.
Bridgestone Nurture Talent
Product NewsWith just weeks to go until the beginning of this year’s F1 season Bridgestone has announced a pan-European search for talented young journalists.
The official tyre partner to Ferrari, Jordan Grand Prix and Minardi F1 has pledged to “nurture the next generation of motorsport talent,” and so Bridgestone e-reporter is offering a chance of a lifetime to students hoping to pursue a career in journalism.
An independent jury will select seven finalists to attend a European Grand Prix to report on the GP2 series, meeting the drivers behind the championship. The articles will be published on the Bridgestone Europe and GP2 websites.
The winner will then win a once in a lifetime trip to Tokyo, Japan, visiting Bridgestone’s global headquarters and reporting on a major company event.
Bridgestone to Build a Plant in Poland
Product NewsBridgestone will build a plant in Poland to produce rubber tracks for earthmoving equipment, the manufacturer announced today.
The plant is due to begin operating in July 2006 and will be located in the city of Zarow in the south western Polish province near Wroclaw. Production capacity is expected to reach about 26,000 tracks a year by 2007 and 12 million euros will be invested to achieve this.
Bridgestone’s 4×4 Pilot Scheme
Product NewsBridgestone has implemented a new marketing strategy for its Dueller 683, 4×4 on road luxury tyre. According to news source Strategiy the manufacturer will be hosting a free, test pilot scheme for residents of several Middle Eastern countries including the UAE, KSA, Kuwait Qatar and Bahrain, in a bid to show customers how “quality tyres can assist driving.”
Bridgestone Supply Superamerica
Product NewsBridgestone is to supply Potenza RE050 radial tyres for the Ferrari Superamerica. Delivery of the tyres, for factory installation on the newest Ferrari convertible, will begin this month.
The Superamerica is derived from the 575M Maranello and will be produced in limited edition. Powered with a 12-cylinder engine and featuring a rotating roof in combination with electrochromic technology, which allows the driver to adjust the amount of sunlight that shines into the cockpit.
French Manufacturers Select Bridgestone for OE
NewsMajor French car manufacturers, Renault and Peugeot have selected Bridgestone for original equipment, the company has announced. Both manufacturers will fit 15 inch tyres to their new high-volume small cars.
Bridgestone Plans 50th Tyre Plant
Product NewsAfter the company only recently confirmed plans to build its 48th tyre factory in Brazil, Japan’s Nihon Keizai is reporting that Bridgestone will build two more facilities. According to the newspaper the new factories will be built in China and Eastern Europe at a total cost of more than £253 million. The Chinese plant will produce bus/truck and passenger car products in China and is likely to be built in Huizhou, Guangdong province. As for Eastern Europe, a number of locations have been the subject of media speculation. Possible countries include Slovakia or Poland where Bridgestone already has a tyre factory.
2005 Golden Opportunity for Michelin
Product NewsThe new Formula 1 season will bring with it a “giant chance” to finally challenge for the world championship, Niki Lauda told the Home of F1 news services. The former Ferrari driver said new regulations often represent a “golden” opportunity to beat the pacesetter.
“Above all I see the new tyre rule as a chance for them” Niki Lauder said referring to the new rule limiting teams to a single set of tyres for both qualifying and the grand prix. When it comes to developing a brand new F1 tyre, he continued, Michelin have a distinct advantage for 2005.
“They have much more data, for example of Mercedes, BMW, Honda and Toyota, while Bridgestone has only Ferrari. And we know that tyres dictate victory and defeat,” he explained.
Bridgestone Makes Tsunami Donation
Product NewsBridgestone is to donate 100 million yen (roughly £500,000) to disaster relief aid intended for victims of the recent Indian Ocean Tsunami. The money will be distributed through the Japan Red Cross which will allocate funds at its discretion. The company’s subsidiaries in Thailand, India, Indonesia and Malaysia will make separate contributions to local relief efforts.
Continental and Michelin have also donated to the cause.
Bridgestone’s Shares Fall
Product NewsBloomberg has reported that Bridgestone Corporation shares fell by up to two per cent after the Nihon Keizai newspaper reported that the company is expecting its first decline in pretax profit in four years. Bridgestone stock fell by as much as 40 yen to 1990 yen after gaining 42 per cent during the course of the last year.
The Nihon Keizai reported that the tyre manufacturer’s pre-tax profits are likely to fall by 17 per cent to 150 billion yen (£763 million) because of an increase in the price of oil and other raw materials. The newspaper did not specify where it obtained its information. “It is based on the newspaper’s own reporting,” Bridgestone’s spokeswoman Setsuko Ozaki said, declining to comment on the report.
According to Bloomberg, Bridgestone’s 2005 sales may rise 4 per cent to 2.5 trillion yen. Bridgestone may also report a record group net income of about 140 billion yen, up 30 per cent, after changing its employee pension fund system, the Nikkei newspaper said.
Last month Bridgestone said it would raise the price of its tyres in 2005 in order to protect earning from rising raw material costs. Bridgestone and Firestone branded tyres used in passenger cars, trucks and buses will rise by between 5 per cent and 10 per cent, the Tokyo-based company said on 8 December.
