Bridgestone, IRC form motorcycle tire JV

TOKYO (Nov. 7)—Bridgestone Corp. and Inoue Rubber Corp. have agreed to form a 50/50 joint venture company, Bridgestone IRC Manufacturing Co. Ltd., to manufacture bias-ply tires for motorcycles and scooters. Capitalized at $4 million, Bridgestone IRC will produce 2.4 million tires a year under both partners´ brands. Production will be based at Inoue´s Ikeda, Japan, site, although Inoue joint venture plants in Thailand and Vietnam also will be involved, Bridgestone said. Bridgestone will shift production of bias-ply tires from its Nasu, Japan, facility, which will allow the company to focus on making radial passenger and motorcycle/scooter tires.