Tokyo, Jul. 20, 2009 (JCN) -- Bridgestone Corporation has announced plans to build a new plant for the production of precure tread for retread tires. This production base will help Bridgestone increase sales of its retread products as well as develop its solutions business in Japan, Asia, and China.

Tires are retreaded by removing the worn tread (the part of the tire that touches the ground), adding new tread rubber and vulcanizing it so that the tire can be reused. Compared to new tires, retread tires can contribute to resource conservation by reducing as much as two-thirds the consumption of raw materials such as natural rubber, reducing CO2 emissions generated in tire production, and contribute to reducing the number of tires scrapped by maximizing their total life.

Bridgestone's retread tires are widely used on trucks and buses, aircraft, and construction and mining vehicles. The retread tire markets for trucks and buses are rapidly growing in Japan, Asia, and China.

Bridgestone has positioned Japan, Asia, and China as growth markets. In Japan, it has been developing its Eco Value Pack business and expanding its solutions business, which supports customers as they implement their environmental management activities and work to reduce their total tire-related costs.

In addition, in Asia and China, it has been further expanding its network of Bandag franchises, and with the establishment of this new plant, Bridgestone will secure a production base of retread materials which enables further development of its retread and solutions business in each of these markets.

Construction of the new plant in Chonburi Province, Thailand, about 60 km from Bangkok, is scheduled to start in July 2009, and production is expected to commence at the facility in November 2010. With approximately 43,600 square meters, the new plant will require an investment of 5.2 billion yen and employ about 100.

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