Bridgestone Americas to Build New Tire Plant in Mexico

Tokyo Janyary 31, 2005; (JCNN) - Bridgestone has announced that its US subsidiary Bridgestone Americas will build a new tire plant in Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

The new plant, which will have Bridgestone's proprietary production system BIRD (Bridgestone Innovative and Rational Development) deployed, will produce radial tires for passenger cars and light trucks.

BIRD is the world's first fully automated tire production system that has covered processes from material handling to product inspection.

The new plant will have a daily production capacity of about 8,000 units. Construction will begin in February 2005, and the plant will become operational in July 2007. The company will invest about $220 million in plant and equipment.