STARGARD, Poland (May 19, 2009)—Bridgestone Corp. has inaugurated production at its $270 million truck and bus tire plant in Stargard, its second tire plant in Poland.
The plant, located on a 1,050-acre plot near Stargard in northwest Poland, should hit its target operating capacity of 2,500 tires a day by next year, the company said. Employment will rise to 550 at full capacity.
Bridgestone broke ground on the plant—its second dedicated truck and bus tire factory in Europe—in 2007. At that time, the company said the plant eventually would produce 5,000 tires a day.
“This plant is vital for our European objective of long-term profitable growth” said Bridgestone Europe N.V./S.A. CEO Toru Tsuda. “It is a showcase of advanced technology and a key asset in our strategy of focusing on high-value-added products in the extremely competitive European tire market.”
In the past, Bridgestone said securing a second truck and bus tire plant would enhance its degree of self-sufficiency in the region and contribute to the creation of a strategic product supply system.
The plant will be operated by Bridgestone Stargard Sp. z o.o., a wholly owned subsidiary of Bridgestone Europe.
The tire maker's other plant in Poland is a performance tire factory in Poznan. It also operates an air springs factory in Wolsztyn and a rubber track factory in Wroclaw.