Bridgestone expects Tochigi plant at full capacity by October 2004

LAS VEGAS (Nov. 17)—Bridgestone Corp. expects its Tochigi, Japan, plant to be running at full capacity by October 2004 after a massive fire damaged the factory in September, the tire maker's top executive said recently. Shigeo Watanabe, president, CEO and chairman of Bridgestone, said the Japanese plant is running at about 50-percent capacity. He spoke during Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire´s recent retail dealer meeting in Las Vegas. The fire broke out Sept. 8 at the plant´s rubber mixing area, and the flames were extinguished later in the week. Bridgestone said direct and indirect costs from the blaze could be as high as $357 million. "We are doing everything we can to minimize the impact from that fire," Watanabe told the North American dealers.