Bridgestone Officially Opens Chinese Plant for Rubber Antivibration Components, Continues to Expand Chinese Presence

Tokyo, Japan, Apr 1, 2005 - (JCN Newswire) - Bridgestone held the official opening today for a plant that produces rubber antivibration components for automobiles in China's Jiangsu Province. The plant is in the city of Changzhou, about 160 kilometers west of Shanghai. It began production in January 2005. Owner and operator of the plant is Bridgestone (Changzhou) Automotive Products Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation.

About 60 people were on hand for the opening ceremony, including Chinese government and municipal officials, as well as Bridgestone representatives. Heading the Bridgestone contingent were Tatsuya Okajima, a board member responsible for original equipment, and Hiromichi Odagiri a vice president and senior officer who serves as chief representative of Bridgestone tire operations in China.

"We are determined contribute to the ongoing development of motor transport in China," emphasized Okajima in his remarks. "All of our employees here share a commitment to earning people's trust and to building a company that they can be proud of."

Bridgestone (Changzhou) Automotive Products' plant will have a monthly production capacity of about 170,000 antivibration components in September 2006. It will supply those components mainly to automobile plants in China. Bridgestone has invested about $16 million in the plant, which is the Bridgestone Group's sixth plant for producing antivibration components. The group also produces those products at two sites in Japan, at two in the United States, and at one in Thailand.