Bridgestone facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bridgestone Corporation

Bridgestone's headquarters in Kyōbashi, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo
Native name	株式会社ブリヂストン
Romanized name	Kabushiki gaisha Burijisuton
Formerly	Bridgestone Tire Co., Ltd. (1931–1942, 1951–1984) Nippon Tire Company (1942–1951)
Type	Public KK
Traded as	TYO: 5108 Nikkei 225 component TOPIX Large70 component
Industry	Manufacturing
Founded	1 March 1931; 94 years ago (1931-03-01) Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan
Founder	Shojiro Ishibashi
Headquarters	Kyōbashi, Tokyo , Japan
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Shuichi Ishibashi [jp] (Global CEO)
Products	Tires, golf equipment
Revenue	¥4.11 trillion (US$37.45 billion) (Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2022)
Operating income	¥482 billion (US$4.39 billion) (Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2022)
Net income	¥300 billion (US$2.73 billion) (Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2022)
Total assets	¥4.96 trillion (US$45.19 billion) (Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2022)
Total equity	¥3.01 trillion (US$27.43 billion) (Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2022)
Owner	Ishibashi family (10.2%)
Number of employees	129,262 (2022)
Subsidiaries	Bridgestone Golf Firestone Tire and Rubber Company

Bridgestone Corporation (株式会社ブリヂストン, Kabushiki gaisha Burijisuton) is a big Japanese company that makes many things. It was started in 1931 by Shojiro Ishibashi in Japan. The name "Bridgestone" comes from a Japanese word meaning "stone bridge."

The company is best known for making tires. They also make things like golf equipment. As of 2021, Bridgestone is the largest tire maker in the world. They have 181 factories in 24 countries.

History of Bridgestone

How Bridgestone Started

The company started as "Bridgestone Tire Company, Ltd." in 1931. Before that, the first Bridgestone tire was made in 1930. Shojiro Ishibashi made his tire division a separate company. He named it Bridgestone, which is a play on his last name, Ishibashi.

At first, the company wanted to make tires using only Japanese technology. This was hard, but they kept working to make their products better. Soon, Bridgestone grew quickly in Japan and other countries.

Challenges During and After World War II

During World War II, most of Bridgestone's tires went to the military. The war caused a lot of damage to the company. Their main office in Tokyo was destroyed. They also lost all their factories outside Japan.

Luckily, their plants in Kurume and Yokohama were safe. This allowed them to start making tires again right after the war. The company worked hard to rebuild and become strong once more.

After the war, Bridgestone also started making bicycles in 1949. They even made some motorcycles for a while. But their main business was always tires. In 1952, Mr. Ishibashi opened the Bridgestone Museum of Art.

New Technology and Growth

Cross section of a tire

In 1951, Bridgestone was the first in Japan to sell tires made with rayon cord. They also spent five years making their factories more modern. By 1953, Bridgestone was the top tire company in Japan.

They started selling nylon tires in 1959. A new factory opened in Tokyo in 1960 to keep up with more cars on the road.

Expanding Around the World

Bridgestone became a public company in 1961, meaning people could buy shares. They also started using a new way to control quality. This helped them win a special award called the Deming Prize in 1968. In 1967, they sold their first radial tire, called the RD10.

Bridgestone opened its first factory outside Japan after the war in Singapore in 1965. They also started making tires in Thailand in 1969. In 1967, Bridgestone Americas was set up in the United States to sell their products there.

In the 1970s, Bridgestone focused on making better radial tires. They launched the POTENZA radial tire in 1979, which means "power" in Italian. The company kept growing globally, opening factories in Indonesia and Iran in 1976. They also bought tire factories in Australia in 1980. Shojiro Ishibashi, the founder, passed away in 1976.

In 1981, Bridgestone celebrated 50 years. They wanted to be one of the top three rubber product makers in the world. They built new factories in many countries like India, Poland, China, and the United States. In 1984, the company changed its name to Bridgestone Corporation.

Buying Firestone Tire and Rubber Company

Former Firestone Tire and Rubber Company headquarters in Akron, Ohio

In 1988, Bridgestone bought the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company in the U.S. This was a very big step for Bridgestone. They put a lot of money and effort into making Firestone strong again. By 1992, Firestone was making a profit.

The Firestone and Bridgestone companies in North America joined together in 1990. Today, the American part of Bridgestone is called Bridgestone Americas, Inc.

In 2012, Bridgestone Americas opened a new technical center in Akron, Ohio. This $100 million building helps 450 employees create new tire technologies. In 2022, they opened a new $21 million factory in Akron. This factory makes racing tires for the IndyCar Series. It's the first new tire factory in Akron in over 70 years!

Bridgestone's Global Locations

Bridgestone has many factories and offices all over the world. As of 2011, they had 47 tire plants, 29 tire-related plants, and many other facilities globally. They also have research centers and testing grounds.

Here are some of the main countries where Bridgestone has factories:

Bridgestone in Australia

Bridgestone Australia started in 1939. In 1980, Bridgestone took over factories from another company there. They used to have a big tire factory in Salisbury, South Australia, but it closed in 2011. Bridgestone still has offices and stores all over Australia.

In 2000, Bridgestone Australia bought a company called BANDAG. BANDAG makes retreaded tires, which are old tires that have new rubber put on them. This helps save money and resources.

Bridgestone in Europe

Bridgestone EU has its main office in Brussels, Belgium. It was set up in 1990. They have 7 factories and a large research center near Rome, Italy. The company sells over 25 million tires each year.

They have offices in many European countries like Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and the UK. Bridgestone EU also has a program called Truckpoint. This helps truck fleets get tire work done at approved garages across Europe.

Bridgestone in North America

Bridgestone bought its first factory in North America in Tennessee in 1983. This plant makes radial tires for trucks and buses. They also have a steel cord plant in Clarksville, Tennessee.

In 1988, Bridgestone bought Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. This brought many Firestone factories around the world into the Bridgestone family.

Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSA) is the American part of Bridgestone. They make and sell Bridgestone, Firestone, and other tire brands. These tires are for cars, trucks, farm machines, and more. They also make other products like air springs and roofing materials.

In 2017, Bridgestone Americas moved many of its teams into one building in downtown Nashville. This new skyscraper is called Bridgestone Tower. Nearly 2,000 employees work there.

Bridgestone and Sports

Racing Cars

Bridgestone started making tires for racing in the 1980s. They made tires for smaller racing series like Formula 2 and Formula 3.

To make the Firestone brand more famous, Bridgestone brought Firestone back into CART racing in 1995. Firestone tires were very good. Since then, Firestone has been the only tire supplier for the IndyCar Series.

Michael Schumacher in practice at the 2005 United States Grand Prix. Notice the Bridgestone logos on the car.

Bridgestone has supplied tires for Formula One racing since 1997. They wanted to become more well-known in Europe. Their tires helped teams win many races and championships.

Bridgestone used a Ligier JS41 car to test their tires in 1996.

From 2008 to 2010, Bridgestone was the only tire supplier for Formula One. They decided not to continue after 2010. Another company, Pirelli, took over in 2011.

Here's how well Bridgestone and Firestone tires did in Formula One races:

Tire Record Table – Races Won

Pos	Tire	Seasons	Starts	Wins	Only supplier	WC Drivers	WC Constr.
3	Bridgestone	1976 – 2010	244	175	116	11	11
6	Firestone	1950–1975	121	49	11	3	3

Sports and Touring Car Racing

In the 1980s and 1990s, Bridgestone made tires for sports cars racing at Le Mans. They also supplied tires for Mercedes-AMG cars. Today, Bridgestone is a main tire supplier for the Super GT series in Japan.

Motorcycle Racing

Bridgestone entered Grand Prix motorcycle racing (MotoGP) in 2002. From 2009 to 2015, they were the only tire supplier for MotoGP. They achieved 100 MotoGP victories in 2012. Famous racer Valentino Rossi won two MotoGP titles on Bridgestone tires. Bridgestone left MotoGP at the end of 2015.

Other Sports

Bridgestone is the Official Tire of The National Football League (NFL) and National Hockey League (NHL). They are also a sponsor of the Olympic Games. Bridgestone sponsors the NHL's Winter Classic outdoor game. In 2010, they bought the naming rights for the home of the NHL's Nashville Predators, now called Bridgestone Arena. They also sponsor the Copa Libertadores, a big football (soccer) competition in South America.

Other Products from Bridgestone

Bridgestone makes many different products, not just tires. These "diversified products" make up about a quarter of the company's total sales.

They make parts for cars, like special parts that stop vibrations from the engine. Bridgestone also makes air springs for trucks, cars, and trains. They sell aluminum wheels and other car accessories.

Industrial Products

Bridgestone's industrial products include foam for car seats and furniture. They also make hoses for water and for loading oil tankers. They produce conveyor belts and rubber tracks for tractors. Bridgestone even makes retreaded tires for airplanes.

For building and construction, Bridgestone makes special bearings to protect buildings from earthquakes. They also make materials for roofs and floors.

Bridgestone makes parts for electronic devices too. This includes rollers for office machines and films for solar cells. In sports, they sell golf balls, golf clubs, tennis balls, and tennis rackets.

Bridgestone Commercial Services Group (Bandag)

Bandag's logo

In 2006, Bridgestone bought a company called Bandag, Inc. Bandag was a leader in making retreaded truck tires. This means they take old truck tires and put new rubber on them. This helps customers save money on fuel.

The deal was worth about $1.05 billion. In 2007, Bridgestone officially took over Bandag. The company was renamed Bridgestone Bandag, LLC. Later, in 2011, it was renamed Bridgestone Commercial Services Group.

Bicycles

Kabuki head badge

The Bridgestone Cycle Co Ltd. started in 1949. They sell bicycles under their own name and under the Anchor brand.

Bridgestone used to sell bicycles in the U.S. under the name Kabuki. They were known for making strong and comfortable bikes. They also helped develop early mountain bikes.

Anchor brand bicycle in a Japanese store

Today, Bridgestone still builds bicycle frames in Japan. They make bikes for racing and for everyday use. They also made a special folding bicycle called the Bridgestone Picnica.

Motorcycles

Bridgestone made mopeds and motorcycles from 1952 to 1970. Their motorcycles were very advanced for their time. However, Bridgestone stopped making motorcycles in 1970. This was to make sure they could keep supplying tires to other motorcycle makers like Honda and Suzuki.

Bridgestone Aircraft Tire

Bridgestone Aircraft Tire (USA) makes tires for airplanes. They also offer services to retread (put new rubber on) aircraft tires. In 2006, they moved their main aviation operations to Mayodan, North Carolina. This new facility helps them make tires for modern planes like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A380. Bridgestone has been a major supplier of aircraft tires for over 70 years.

Golf Products

Bridgestone Golf is the part of Bridgestone that makes golf products. Bridgestone has been making golf-related items since 1935. They make golf clubs, golf balls, and other accessories. Thanks to their tire technology, they also made breakthroughs in golf ball design. This has made Bridgestone the number one golf ball maker in Japan.

They started designing and making golf clubs in 1972. Bridgestone Golf products are sold all over the world, including in the USA, Australia, and Korea.

Dolphin Artificial Tail Fin

In 2003, a dolphin named Fuji at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium lost most of her tail fin. This made it impossible for her to swim. The aquarium worked with Bridgestone to create the world's first artificial tail fin for a dolphin.

At first, it was hard to make the fin stay on. But they kept trying and finally succeeded! In 2010, they also made a second artificial tail fin for another dolphin named Lanan.

Bridgestone e-Reporter

Bridgestone e-Reporter was a competition for young sports journalists in Europe. Students aged 18-30 could enter. The winners got to interview GP2 drivers and write race reports from a GP2 race weekend.

The competition ran for five years, ending in 2009. Bridgestone was the only tire supplier for the GP2 series. This racing series is seen as a stepping stone for drivers hoping to reach Formula One.

See also

In Spanish: Bridgestone para niños

• Bridgestone Arena
• Bridgestone Golf
• Bridgestone Picnica
• Bridgestone Tower