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59-504: Bridgestone Corporation ( 株式会社ブリヂストン , Kabushiki gaisha Burijisuton ) is a Japanese multinational manufacturing company founded in 1931 by Shojiro Ishibashi (1889–1976) in the city of Kurume , Fukuoka, Japan . The name Bridgestone comes from a calque translation and transposition of ishibashi ( 石橋 ), meaning 'stone bridge' in Japanese. It primarily manufactures tires , as well as golf equipment . As of 2021, Bridgestone

118-522: A continent–wide scheme called Truckpoint wherein fleets can take their vehicles to any Bridgestone approved garage throughout Europe and get Bridgestone specialist work carried out on their tires. There are no Bridgestone factories in the United Kingdom but there is a technical bay at which tyres returned by dissatisfied customers are inspected in Coventry . The plant at Ulyanovsk , Russia and

177-688: A large number of Firestone global production sites into the Bridgestone organization. These sites included North America, Central and South America, Europe, New Zealand and other locations. Bridgestone also commenced production in Turkey. In 1992, the company established regional corporate offices in Europe and the Americas. Nashville –based Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSA) is the American subsidiary of

236-432: A major investment decision regarding retooling for the radial tire, following the 1973 oil crisis . Despite heavy criticism at the time, Pilliod invested heavily in new factories and tooling to build the radial tire. Today, only Goodyear, Cooper , Titan, and Specialty Tires of America remain independent among US tire manufacturers, and the radial has practically replaced all other construction methods for automobile tires on

295-822: A major manufacturing tire factory in Australia: located in Salisbury, South Australia (this plant was eventually decommissioned in April 2011). Bridgestone has State Offices in all states of Australia, and has a large number of retail outlets across the country. In 2000 Bridgestone Australia Ltd. purchased the BANDAG Retreading plant and its operations in Australia. Bandag Manufacturing Pty Limited has 35 franchised dealers across Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Nouméa. Bandag Manufacturing Pty Limited

354-655: A majority share holding. As of mid–2007 the Australian operation was delisted from the Australian Stock exchange and became a solely owned Division of Bridgestone Corporation (pending minority shareholder approval as per Australian Corporate Law). Following the cancellation on Friday, 11 May 2007, of all shares held by minority shareholders, Bridgestone Australia Ltd. became a wholly owned subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation of Japan. The selective capital reduction and subsequent privatisation which cost $ 49 million

413-499: A slick, but with a radial construction for the Monte Carlo Rally winning works Stratos. Radial technology is now the standard design for essentially all automotive tires. Bias tires are still used on trailers due to their weight carrying ability and resistance to swaying when towed. For aircraft, the transition is happening more slowly, as tires are certified along with the airframe . A radial has less material in

472-461: A steel cord plant in Clarksville, Tennessee , named Bridgestone Metalpha. Metalpha is currently ranked as the top provider in the global steel cord market. In May 1988, a takeover bid of America's No. 2 tire manufacturer, Akron, Ohio –based Firestone Tire and Rubber Company , was successful, and Firestone was placed under the Bridgestone umbrella as a subsidiary company. This purchase brought

531-634: A tire manufacturer (1915–1919), firearm designer and inventor in San Diego, CA - U.S. patent 1,203,910 . No actual products were created. Michelin in France designed, developed, patented, and commercialized the radial tire. The first Michelin X radial tire for cars was developed in 1946 by Michelin researcher Marius Mignol. There is no evidence that the former accountant turned researcher Mignol had knowledge of Hamilton or Savage's earlier work when he began his experiments in 1941. Michelin owned

590-405: Is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bridgestone Australia Limited, and operates under license to Bandag Incorporated. In 2006 Bridgestone purchased Bandag Incorporated, which is now a subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation. From the purchase in 1981, the Australian operations of Bridgestone have been run as a publicly listed company on the Australian Stock exchange. Bridgestone Corporation has maintained

649-475: Is now named Bridgestone Americas, Inc. The tire division is Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC. In April 2012, Bridgestone Americas opened up its new Bridgestone Americas Technical Center in Akron. The $ 100 million facility, located just down the street from the former headquarters, tire plant, and technical center, houses 450 employees whose jobs are to develop innovative and advanced tire technologies for

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708-665: Is the first new tire plant in the city of Akron in more than 70 years. Bridgestone also opened up a $ 6 million test track adjacent to the Advanced Tire Production Center to support passenger tire testing and development. The test track opened in autumn 2022. Bridgestone has invested more than $ 125 million in its Akron operations since 2012, when the company opened the Bridgestone Americas Technology Center. Bridgestone has major manufacturing plants in many countries around

767-593: Is the largest manufacturer of tires in the world, followed by Michelin , Goodyear , Continental , and Pirelli . Bridgestone Group has 181 production facilities in 24 countries as of July 2018. The history of the Bridgestone Tire Company, Ltd. , founded in 1931 by Shojiro Ishibashi in Japan. The first Bridgestone tire was produced on 9 April 1930, by the Japanese " Tabi " Socks Tire Division (actually made jika-tabi ). One year later on 1 March 1931,

826-454: The 2007 season to the 2010 Formula One season . On 2 November 2009, Bridgestone announced that they would not be renewing their contract to supply tires to Formula One teams after 2010. The company said it was "addressing the impact of the continuing evolution of the business environment". Pirelli announced in June 2010 that it would serve as sole supplier for tires in the 2011 season . In

885-409: The heat buildup in the tire . By comparison, radial tires lay all of the cord plies at 90 degrees to the direction of travel (that is, across the tire from lip to lip). This design avoids having the plies rub against each other as the tire flexes, reducing the tire's rolling friction. This allows vehicles with radial tires to achieve better fuel economy than with bias-ply tires. It also accounts for

944-553: The 1930s, soon after they started making tires. Today, Bridgestone diversified operations encompass automotive components, industrial products, polyurethane foam products, construction materials, parts and materials for electronic equipment, bicycles and sporting goods. Diversified business generates about one-fourth of total sales in the Bridgestone Group. Shojiro Ishibashi Shōjirō Ishibashi ( 石橋 正二郎 , Ishibashi Shōjirō , February 1, 1889 – September 11, 1976)

1003-574: The 1980s and 1990s, Bridgestone provided tires to the Le Mans sport prototypes of teams Nismo and TOM's , backed by Japanese automobile manufacturers Nissan and Toyota respectively. In the early 1990s, Bridgestone expanded to Mercedes-AMG , which entered the DTM and later Le Mans and the FIA GT Championship . The brand left international sports car racing in 2000, but remains as one of

1062-478: The 1980s by developing race tires for feeder series like Formula 2 , Formula 3 , Formula Ford , Formula Opel Lotus and karting . In order to increase the Firestone subsidiary's brand awareness, Bridgestone Firestone NAH Ltd , re–entered the Firestone brand into CART open-wheel racing in 1995 to challenge Goodyear . The tires proved better and Goodyear left the series for 2000. Since then, Firestone has been

1121-483: The Bridgestone Corporation. BSA and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market Bridgestone, Firestone, and associate brand tires for consumers, automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturers, and those in the agricultural, forestry and mining industries. The companies also produce air springs, roofing materials, synthetic rubber and industrial fibers and textiles and operate

1180-596: The Bridgestone Museum. Sales surpassed ten billion yen in 1953, placing Bridgestone at the top of the tire industry in Japan, and celebrations were held to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the company's foundation in Kurume. The sale of nylon tires was started in 1959, and work forged ahead with the construction of the new Tokyo plant, which was opened in 1960, in order to cope with the fast–expanding market for motorization. The company issued stock shares and

1239-580: The CEO Yoichiro Kaizaki, aiming to improve Bridgestone's name value in the European market which was greatly inferior compared with their archrivals, Michelin . Though it was scheduled to enter the championship in the 1998 season at first, this was brought forward to 1997 because the engineering section led by Hirohide Hamashima had quickly advanced development. Thus, Hiroshi Yasukawa, the general manager of Motorsport Department, also made

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1298-550: The Olympics and Paralympics when they expire at the end of 2024. In 2010, Bridgestone acquired the naming rights to the home venue of the NHL's Nashville Predators calling it Bridgestone Arena . They were also the title sponsor for Copa Libertadores , the top competition for South American club football , from 2013 to 2017, and Copa Sudamericana from 2011 to 2013. The predecessors of Bridgestone began making diversified products in

1357-666: The Tokyo plant in 1962 to house the new Technical Centre, and a progressive system of research and development was established. On the product front, 1967 saw the sale of the company's first ever radial tire , the RD10. Bridgestone's first overseas plant since the end of the war was opened in Singapore in 1965, and production was also commenced in Thailand in 1969. The 1960s for Bridgestone was an era of overseas expansion that also included

1416-466: The areas of technology, production, and sales in the early days. Eventually, improvements were achieved in quality and manufacturing processes which led to the business rapidly expanding in domestic and overseas markets. Wartime regulations were in effect throughout Japan during World War II , and tires also came under the jurisdiction of these regulations. This resulted in nearly all of the company's output being used to satisfy military demand. 1945 saw

1475-410: The best use of the experience and networks in Europe since the Bridgestone's European F2 era ( 1981 – 1984 ) and constructed logistics for Formula One at once. The first title was acquired right away in the second year, 1998 by Mika Häkkinen and McLaren – Mercedes . And Bridgestone users took five Drivers' Championship titles and five Constructors' Championship titles ( 1998 , 2001 – 2004 ) for

1534-592: The championship and reached the milestone of 100 MotoGP victories in 2012. Nine–time World Champion Valentino Rossi was 'Bridgestone Tyre Adviser' having won two MotoGP titles on Bridgestone tires in 2008 and 2009. In May 2014, Bridgestone announced they would leave Moto GP at the end of the 2015 season. Bridgestone is currently the Official Tire of the Olympic Games , but have stated they will not be renewing their worldwide partnership agreements with

1593-466: The company celebrated its 50th anniversary. At the same time, the company initiated activities to strengthen its home base that supported overseas expansion strategy with the aim of being ranked as one of the world's top three manufacturers of rubber products. New production facilities were also established in Thailand, India, Poland, China, the United States and other countries. The company changed

1652-517: The company were further reinforced after this. After the war the company started making bicycles, with the Bridgestone Cycle Company being formed in 1949. From 1952 the first complete powered bicycles were produced, with a 26cc engine. In 1958 the first 50cc Bridgestone motorcycles were manufactured, but the company's main income was from supplying tires to its rival motorcycle makers such as Honda , Suzuki and Yamaha and it

1711-561: The company. In June 2022, Bridgestone opened up its $ 21 million Advanced Tire Production Center which replaced the Firestone Advance Tire Works Plant at the original Firestone Tire and Rubber Company headquarters which opened in 1910. The new building is home of the company's racing tire production for the NTT IndyCar Series . The plant manufactures all Firestone Firehawk racing tires. It

1770-409: The cords in the tire to assume an S-shape from bead to bead. The angle under the tread, the crown angle, stretched down to about 36 degrees. In the sidewall region the angle was 45 degrees, and in the bead it remained at 60 degrees. The low crown angle gave rigidity to support the tread and the high sidewall angle gave comfort. To increase strength, the manufacturer would increase the number of plies, and

1829-400: The end of armed conflict, but the company was devastated by the war. The Tokyo headquarters was destroyed during an aerial bombing raid, and all overseas assets were lost. The plants in Kurume and Yokohama escaped unscathed, and production was able to resume immediately after the war ended. Brushing aside the problems caused by a labour union strike that lasted for 46 days, the foundations of

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1888-456: The establishment of Bridgestone Americas in the United States in 1967 to act as Bridgestone's USA representative sales branch. At the start of the period of Japan's economic stagnation, brought about by the first oil shock, the company was placing even more emphasis on establishing its own technology for the manufacture of radial tires, and it was also at this time that further domestic plants were constructed and fitted out. Its Super Filler Radial

1947-590: The founder, Shojiro Ishibashi , made the "Tabi" Socks Tire Division independent and established the Bridgestone Tire Co., Ltd. in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture. "Bridgestone" was named after the name of the founder, Shojiro Ishibashi ( 石橋 ; lit.   ' stone bridge ' ). Foregoing dependence on European and North American technology, the Bridgestone Tire Co., Ltd. set its eyes on manufacturing tires based largely on Japanese technology. The fledgling company experienced many difficulties in

2006-407: The inheritance to fund her family's political causes. She married former Japanese Foreign Minister Iichirō Hatoyama . The couple had two sons, who are Ishibashi's grandchildren – politicians Kunio Hatoyama , who served as Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications , and Yukio Hatoyama , who was Prime Minister from September 16, 2009, to June 8, 2010. Ishibashi's motto for Bridgestone

2065-433: The largest network of commercial stores across the country, GCR's reach extends nationwide. The letters of GCR reflect the last names of the original company founders Balie Griffith, Harold Crawford and Perry Rose. In 2015, Bridgestone Americas Inc. signed a deal giving its dealers the option to install digital air calibration machines from Excel Tire Gauge Inc. in their stores. The digital air calibration machines streamline

2124-412: The leading automaker Citroën , so it was quickly able to introduce its new design, including on the new 1948 Citroën 2CV model. In 1952, Michelin developed a radial truck tire. Because of its significant advantages in durability and fuel economy, this technology spread quickly in Europe and Asia in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1968, Consumer Reports , an influential American magazine, acknowledged

2183-591: The main suppliers in the Super GT series. Since April 2023, Bridgestone became the main tire supplier for the Super Taikyu championship series replacing Hankook , which supplied its tires briefly until forced to exit the series due the latter's Daejeon plant fire. In 2002, Bridgestone entered the Grand Prix motorcycle racing 's main class MotoGP . From 2009 to 2015, it was the exclusive tire supplier of

2242-453: The market. Sam Gibara, who headed Goodyear from 1996 to 2003, has noted that without the action of Pilliod, Goodyear "wouldn't be around today." In 1974, Pirelli developed the wide radial tire on a request of the Lancia rally racing team for a tire to handle the power of the new Lancia Stratos and in the succeeding year, Pirelli introduced a wide tire with a reduced sidewall height like

2301-817: The marketing office in Moscow were sold in December 2023 as Bridgestone withdrew from the Russian market, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine . As part of reinforcement plans, the company purchased a plant in Tennessee from the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company , its first manufacturing plant in North America, and started the production of radial tires for trucks and buses in 1983. Bridgestone also has

2360-656: The name from Bridgestone Tire Co., Ltd. to Bridgestone Corporation in 1984. In 1988, Bridgestone purchased the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company of Akron, Ohio . Placing considerable financial and personnel resources into rebuilding Firestone after the purchase, Bridgestone achieved surplus annual profits for the year 1992 with BFE ( Bridgestone Firestone Europe ) and again in 1993 with BFS ( Bridgestone Firestone USA ). The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company and Bridgestone Tire Company Ltd. USA were amalgamated in 1990 and became "Bridgestone Firestone North American Holdings Ltd" . The North American subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation

2419-432: The past, the fabric was built up on a flat steel drum, with the cords at angles of about +60 and −60 degrees from the direction of travel, so they criss-crossed over each other. They were called cross ply or bias ply tires. The plies were turned up around the steel wire beads and the combined tread/sidewall applied. The green (uncured) tire was loaded over a curing bladder and shaped into the mold. This shaping process caused

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2478-542: The period that competed with Goodyear ( 1997 – 1998 ) and Michelin ( 2001 – 2006 ). Especially, cooperation with Scuderia Ferrari and Michael Schumacher functioned well in this period. From 2008 to 2010 Bridgestone was due to be the sole tire supplier to the FIA Formula One World Championship. However, because Michelin chose to conclude its Formula One tire programme at the end of the 2006 season , all teams used Bridgestone tires from

2537-746: The region and a 32 hectare research and development centre near Rome, Italy . The company distributes more than 25 million tires a year through 17 national sales subsidiaries and 2 distributors. They directly employ over 12,000 people with Mr. Tsuda as CEO. At present there are national headquarters in the following locations: Vienna , Austria; Prague , Czech Republic; Hinnerup , Denmark; Vantaa , Finland; Fresnes , France; Bad Homburg , Germany; Athens , Greece; Budapest , Hungary; Dublin , Ireland; Milan , Italy; Moerdijk , Netherlands; Oslo , Norway; Warsaw , Poland; Alcochete , Portugal; Madrid , Spain; Sundsvall , Sweden; Spreitenbach , Switzerland; Istanbul , Turkey and Warwick , UK. Bridgestone EU runs

2596-494: The sidewall, so it weighs less, runs cooler and lasts longer. For smaller planes, bias tires afford more stability at higher speeds and have stronger sidewalls. A series of plies of cord reinforces a tire. Without this, a tire would be flexible and weak. The network of cords that gives the tire strength and shape is called the carcass. Since the 1960s, all common tires have a carcass of cords of polyester, steel, or other textile materials, inlaid with several layers of rubber. In

2655-576: The single tire provider for the successor Champ Car World Series , the IndyCar Series and its feeder series Indy NXT . Bridgestone has supplied tires in Formula One since 1997 , although the company one–off produced Formula One tires at the 1976 and 1977 Japanese Grand Prix for Japanese entrants such as Kazuyoshi Hoshino 's Heros Racing and Kojima . The Japanese company decided to supply tires for Formula One in 1995, backed–up by

2714-417: The slightly "low on air" (bulging) look that radial tire sidewalls have, especially when compared to bias-ply tires. With only radial cords, a radial tire would not be sufficiently rigid at the contact with the ground. To add further stiffness, the entire tire is surrounded by additional belts oriented closer to the direction of travel, but usually at some "spiral" angle. These belts can be made of steel (hence

2773-475: The subsequent occupation of Japan, Ishibashi became extensively embroiled in Japanese politics. Ishibashi was close to Ichiro Hatoyama , who was a rival to prime minister Shigeru Yoshida. Ishibashi became an advisor to Hatoyama on Japan's post-war economic development, expressing his views on the economic policy of the parties of Hatoyama's political affiliation. Ishibashi's daughter, Yasuko Hatoyama , became heir to Ishibashi's considerable fortune and has used

2832-510: The superiority of the radial tire design, documenting its longer tread life, better steering characteristics, and less rolling resistance, which improves fuel economy . In 1970, Ford Motor Company produced the first American-made vehicle with radial tires as standard equipment, Michelin tires fitted to the Continental Mark III . In 1974, Charles J. Pilliod, Jr. , the new CEO of Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company , faced

2891-399: The term steel-belted radial), polyester , or Aramid fibers such as Twaron or Kevlar . In this way, low radial tires separate the tire carcass into two separate systems: Each system can then be individually optimized for best performance. Radial tires have different characteristics of springiness from those of bias-ply tires , and a different degree of slip while steering. A benefit

2950-868: The tire inflation process by automatically inflating or deflating tires. In 2017, Bridgestone Americas consolidated many of their business units into a single building in downtown Nashville , Bridgestone Tower . Nearly 2,000 employees work in the new skyscraper, nestled between the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Schermerhorn Symphony Center . In April 2020, due to demand by essential service providers during COVID-19 pandemic in Tennessee , Bridgestone Americas announced plans to restart its North American commercial tire plants as well as its North American Firestone Industrial Products and Firestone Building Products manufacturing facilities. Bridgestone started to invest in motorsport in

3009-597: The world's largest chain of automotive tire and service centers. In November 2010, ASA Automotive Systems Inc. was selected by the Consumer Tire Sales division of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC (BATO) as the software provider for their North American consumer dealers to supply the industry's leading 'All–in–One' Point–of–Sale, Accounting and Inventory shop management software. In 2014, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) unveiled its newly rebranded GCR Tires & Service division. With one of

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3068-585: The world. As of 1 April 2011, Bridgestone has 47 tire plants, 29 tire–related plants, 19 raw materials plants, 89 diversified product plants, 4 technical centers, and 11 proving grounds globally. Some of the major plants are located in: Bridgestone Australia began as the SA Rubber Mills in 1939. In 1980 Bridgestone took over the Australian plants which were at that time operated by the Uniroyal Tyre Company . Bridgestone Australia had

3127-597: Was a Japanese businessman who founded the Bridgestone Corporation , the world's largest maker of tires , in 1931 in the city of Kurume , Fukuoka , Japan. the company was named after its founder: in the Japanese language, ishi means "stone" and hashi (here voiced to bashi ) means "bridge", whence the origin of the company's name in English. After the end of the Second World War and

3186-578: Was approved and completed. Bridgestone Australia Ltd. was delisted from the ASX on 30 May 2007. Bridgestone EU has its head office in Brussels, Belgium , and was set up in 1990 as Bridgestone/Firestone Europe SA. Before that, a representative office in Belgium set up in 1972 and sales subsidiary companies and importers in each countries were selling products imported from Japan. There are 7 production plants in

3245-595: Was later decided to cease motorcycle manufacturing. In 1952, Ishibashi founded the Bridgestone Museum of Art and located it at 10 Kyobashi 1–chome, Chuo–ku, Tokyo 104; Bridgestone Corporation's company headquarters. In 1951, Bridgestone was the first company in Japan to begin selling rayon cord tires, and a five–year project to modernize production facilities was started. This year also saw another Bridgestone building opened in Kyōbashi, Tokyo , which contained

3304-500: Was listed on the stock exchange in 1961. A new system of administration was ushered in by Shojiro Ishibashi as the chairman, and Kanichiro Ishibashi as the president. As part of the transition across to administrative reform, the Deming Plan in honor of W. Edwards Deming , which involves overall quality control activities, was adopted, and the company was awarded the prestigious Deming Prize in 1968. Also, additions were built onto

3363-561: Was placed on the market in 1978, and in 1979 the company introduced the high–performance POTENZA radial tire, from an Italian word for power. The company was actively engaged in overseas expansion activities at this time. In addition to starting up production in Indonesia and Iran in 1976, it also invested in a Taiwan tire manufacturer and purchased a tire plant and a plant for diversified products in Australia in 1980. The founder, Shojiro Ishibashi, died on 11 September 1976. On 1 March 1981,

3422-414: Was that cars could now be made lighter because they would not have to make up for the deficiencies of bias-ply tires. However, motorists were not accustomed to the feel, hence the suspension systems of cars had to be modified. Ford Motor Company engineer Jack Bajer experimented in the 1960s on a Ford Falcon , by giving it less tight steering, and adding both isolators to the drive shaft and bushings to

3481-768: Was to "serve society with products of superior quality". He founded Ishibashi Cultural Center and the Bridgestone Museum of Art (also located at 10 Kyobashi 1-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104) and was a major benefactor of the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art , having also constructed the building in which it is housed. Ishibashi made sure of birth and the end of the Prince Motor Company . Radial tire The first radial tire designs were patented in 1914 by G. H. Hamilton and T. Sloper -patent № 467 filed in London , and in 1916 by Arthur W. Savage ,

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