Bridgestone, Ukrainian tire firm ink deal

TOKYO (Oct. 10)—Bridgestone Corp. has struck a deal with an unidentified Ukrainian tire maker for that firm to make passenger tires for Bridgestone to sell in Russia. Further details were unavailable from Bridgestone at this time. Press reports from Tokyo put the contract at 200,000 units a year, starting in 2003. There are three tire makers in Ukraine: Dneproshina in Dneprotovosk, and Rosava and Valsa in Belaya Tserkov. All three have capacity for passenger tires, but only Rosava and Valsa have radial capacity, according to available information.