Where Are Bridgestone Tires Made & Manufactured?

‍Bridgestone History

Bridgestone Tire rubber company was started in Japan in 1931 by Shojiro Ishibashi. The current CEO of the Bridgestone corporation is Schuichi Ishibashi, a distant relative of the founder.

Bridgestone Tire company is the largest manufacturer of tires today, but during their early years, they faced countless struggles. In WWII, all of their rubber output was rationed by the Japanese government to put forward towards the war effort.

In WWII, two of the Bridgestone plants were bombed, leaving only the headquarters operational. This was Bridgestone’s saving grace, since after the war, production was able to continue.

This jump start on production after the war was what led Bridgestone to become the largest tire manufacturer in the world.

By 1958, the Bridgestone Bicycle company was formed. The Bridgestone tire and rubber company manufacturing plant made their own motorcycles to compete with other Asian companies that were producing motorcycles at the time.

Today, Bridgestone produces the most tires in the tire industry.

Bridgestone also owns the Firestone tire, started by Harvey Firestone, brand, which makes Bridgestone a truly global corporation.

Firestone tires recently purchased Cooper Tire. With the purchase of Cooper tire, Bridgestone continues to maintain its position as the world’s largest tire manufacturer and a leader of innovation in tire technology.

Bridgestone tires makes all sorts of tires including truck tires meant for a light truck, car tires, and commercial tires used for lots of different applications like trailers.

Bridgestone Tire Competitors

Bridgestone has been in business for 90 years and has been producing high quality products since its inception. Bridgestone has developed a strong reputation for producing reliable and innovative tires. Despite Bridgestone’s success, they face intense competition from other tire competitors. The following is a list of competitors to Bridgestone.

• Michelin Tire: Michelin is a French tire company that is one of the largest tire manufacturers in the world. The company is known for producing high-quality tires for cars, trucks, motorcycles, and bicycles. Michelin is known for its innovative products, including tires with run-flat technology, and is committed to sustainability, with a focus on reducing its carbon footprint.
• Goodyear Tire: Goodyear is an American tire company that is also one of the largest tire manufacturers in the world. The company produces a wide range of tires for various types of vehicles, including cars, trucks, motorcycles, and bicycles. Goodyear is known for its commitment to innovation and for producing tires that are designed to perform in different weather conditions.
• Continental AG Tire: Continental AG is a German tire company that is one of the largest tire manufacturers in Europe. The company produces a wide range of tires for various types of vehicles, including cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Continental is known for its focus on safety and innovation, and for producing tires that are designed to provide drivers with a smooth and comfortable ride.
• Pirelli Tire: Pirelli is an Italian tire company that is known for producing high-performance tires for sports cars and luxury vehicles. The company is known for its focus on innovation and for producing tires that are designed to provide drivers with maximum grip and handling. Pirelli is also committed to sustainability and has been recognized for its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.
• Hankook Tire: Hankook Tire is a South Korean tire company that is rapidly growing and producing a wide range of tires for various types of vehicles, including cars, trucks, and buses. The company is known for its focus on innovation and for producing tires that are designed to provide drivers with a comfortable and safe ride.

These are the main competitors of Bridgestone Tire and the Bridgestone Americas.

The tire market is full of competitors, each one giving Bridgestone a run for its money.

But Bridgestone still maintains its number one position as the largest tire manufacturer in the world.

Bridgestone faces intense competition from these other competitors. Despite the intense competition, it remains the leading player in tire sales.

Bridgestone Plants

To tell which plant a tire came from, you can look at the tire sidewall. On the tire sidewall, there will be a code which references the plant it came from. To find the plant code, look at the DOT number on any tire, including Bridgestone and Goodyear tires.

The DOT code is universal, and the first two digits of a DOT code are the plant code. For example in the DOT number, (DOT AF WD9E 0517) , the plant code is the code AF. To see a full list of plant codes, you can check here.

Bridgestone has 30 plants across the globe. The Firestone/Bridgestone plant is located in Akron, Ohio. The Bridgestone plant in Akron, Ohio was changed to a Bridgestone plant once Bridgestone purchased Firestone. Bridgestone, while in America, also operates in other countries.

In the United States, Bridgestone has multiple manufacturing facilities in states like Tennessee, Ohio, South Carolina, and Indiana. These plants manufacture tires for many types of vehicles including passenger car tires, light trucks, and commercial truck tires.

The Bridgestone plant in Tennessee is one of the largest tire manufacturing plants in the world, and is capable of producing millions of tires per year.

In Europe, Bridgestone manufacturing happens in many countries including France, Poland, and the United Kingdom.

These European plants produce tires for the European market and are designed to meet specific needs of European drivers.

In Asia, Bridgestone manufacturing plants are located in China, Thailand, and Indonesia. These tire manufacturing plants produce tires for the Asian market, and are designed to meet the needs of Asian drivers, since they differ greatly from US and European mandates.

The Bridgestone plant in Thailand is one of the world’s largest and produces millions of tires per year. The Bridgestone rubber company produces tires all across the world. The tires are meant for different markets and the different needs of those markets.

Whether you're looking for a high end sports car performing tire, a tire for your regular old passenger car, or tires for your construction equipment, Bridgestone has a tire that meets your needs for many different vehicles and through many different rubber products.