Bridgestone plans 'major investment'

JOLIETTE, Quebec—Bridgestone Canada Inc. plans to expand its Canadian passenger and light truck tire facility in Joliette as part of a five-year investment project.

A subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas Inc., the firm anticipates it will spend upwards of $250 million on the multi-phase plant project, which a company spokeswoman said has begun. The first phase is expected to be completed in 2016, she said.

It's one of two large expansion projects that will be going on at the same time for Bridgestone Americas. The other, in Wilson, N.C., will be launched soon.

Information on the number of phases involved in the Joliette project was not released nor did the company say what was involved in some of the phases.

When the project is completed, the facility is expected to be expanded to 1.13 million square feet from its present 1 million square feet. It's not likely the plant's work force will be increased at this time, she said.

However, work generated by the project—such as the addition's construction—”would create jobs in the community,” the spokeswoman said. “Although no jobs will be created at the plant, the project will be a major investment in the more than 1,300 jobs for the long-term viability of the plant.”

New technologically advanced machinery will be phased in over the five-year period to help the plant support Bridgestone's growing North American markets and contribute to improved tire performance, the company said.

Capacity at the car and light truck factory, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2016, is expected to be boosted by about 3,000 tires per day to bring daily production to 20,000 tires by 2023.

Bridgestone's primary goal is to bring the plant to a level where it can help meet demand by manufacturing larger diameter tires that fit the present pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles on the market, as well as increase productivity and enhance the facility's global competitive position, the tire maker said.

The factory currently produces 15- to 18-inch passenger, light truck and SUV tires, the spokeswoman said, and once the upgrade is complete, it will be able to manufacture 18- to 22-inch SKUs.

“Our investment in updated equipment and improved manufacturing processes reflects our ongoing commitment to identifying new, cost effective and innovative ways to serve consumers, dealers and original equipment manufacturers,” said Robert Verreault, plant manager at the Joliette operation.

He said Canada continues to represent “an important market for our company, and this investment represents a tremendous opportunity for Bridgestone, Joliette, the Lanaudiere region and the North American markets by enhancing the long-term viability of the facility.”

Bridgestone's Joliette factory, which was built in 1966, is one of the tire maker's most environmentally sustainable plants, the firm said. It produced its 150 millionth tire in 2014 and is the largest private employer in Quebec's Lanaudiere region, according to the company.

Bridgestone Americas also is expanding a tire facility in the U.S. The North American manufacturing arm of Bridgestone Corp. will hold a groundbreaking ceremony March 9 to launch the expansion of the company's Wilson, N.C., passenger tire plant, a project announced early this year.

The tire maker is investing about $164 million over the next five years in the 42-year-old facility to build the addition and add new machinery.

Like its expansion in Canada, the Wilson project will be handled in phases. It will add 167,000 square feet to the 2.5 million-sq.-ft. factory during the first two phases at a cost of about $100 million, a spokesman said.

The additional investment will be used to add new tire assembly machinery, material handling systems, curing presses and other equipment during the next five years.

The spokesman said the additional space and machinery will improve the plant's global competitive position by installing leading edge technology, expanding production capacity and lowering costs.

Bridgestone's expansion will allow the firm to boost passenger tire manufacturing capacity about 10 percent to 35,000 units a day from 32,000 tires daily by 2018.