Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) Chairman and CEO Masaaki Tsuya has announced the tire manufacturer’s Mid-Term Management Plan (MTP) for 2017, with medium-term numerical targets largely unchanged from the MTP issued the previous year. The 2017 plan reiterates the 2016 MTP’s medium-term goals of a return on assets (ROA) of 6 percent, an operating profit rate of 10 percent, and a return...
Tires
Porsche Model Equipped With Michelin Tires Shatters Nurburgring Lap Record
Nihon Michelin Tire Co. Ltd. recently revealed that Porsche AG’s 2018 911 GT2 RS sports car, equipped with Michelin’s new Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, set a new lap record for street-legal sports cars at Germany’s Nurburgring-Nordschleife racetrack. With an average speed of 184.11 kilometers per hour, the car managed to complete a lap of the 20.6 kilometer track in...
Bridgestone to Boost European Tire Production With 266 Million Euro Investment
Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) recently announced that the company will invest a total of 266 million euros ($312.56 million) to boost the tire production capacity of its European subsidiary Bridgestone Europe NV/SA (BSEMEA). The move is aimed at increasing the supply of high-performance tires in Europe. Production will be bolstered at three of the company’s European locations. These are the Poznan...

JRA Chairman Discusses Issues Facing Retreaded Tire Market in Japan
Japanese demand for retreaded tires has slowed in recent years, despite steady growth until 2014 driven by environmental and economic factors. Japan Rubber Weekly recently sat down for an interview with Tatsuo Gomi, chairman of the Japan Retreaders Association (JRA), to ask about several issues facing the industry. The JRA chairman started by saying he wants to properly push the...

Toyo Tires Receives Good Design Award for Seventh Straight Year
Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5150) announced that the company received the 2017 Good Design Award for three new tire brands that it launched this year. This marks the seventh straight year that Toyo Tires has received the Good Design Award. Out of the three brands that won the award, two were Toyo Tire brands – Open Country A/T...
Bridgestone’s Ecopia EP150 Tires to Be Used in New Nissan Leaf
Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) has begun delivering Ecopia EP150 tires to Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. (TYO:7201) for use in the company’s updated Nissan Leaf electric vehicle. These tires play an important part in helping the Leaf achieve its characteristically stable control and comfortable ride, and also extend the car’s driving range. With the Ecopia line, Bridgestone has managed to reduce rolling...