The Tire Market as Seen by Bridgestone COO Nishigai

The actions of tire giant Bridgestone Corp. attract not only Japanese but global attention. What sort of vision does the company have for the tire market of the future? “Japan’s markets are at a ‘super-mature’ stage, and the tire industry has to keep up through growth and improvements in quality,” said Kazuhisa Nishigai, the company’s chief operating officer. “To do...

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Bando Chemical: Automotive Transmission Belts Experience Drop, Resin Conveyor Belts Perform Strongly

Mitsutaka Yoshii, president of Bando Chemical Industries Ltd. (Kobe Head Office), a leading belt manufacturer, explained the current status in the third year of implementation of the company’s medium- and long-term management plan. Results of the first quarter (April-June) indicate that sales increased 4.3 percent while operating income increased 30.6 percent, both compared to the same period last fiscal year. In...

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Sumitomo Rubber Ends Alliance With Goodyear

Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. has ended their alliance and joint ventures with The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, boosting the possibilities for brand development, regional business expansion, and all-round management freedom of the Japanese company. Sumitomo’s brand expansion has been facilitated with the freedom to take part in effective ventures with Dunlop, a company respected world-over for their high-quality and...

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Toyo Tire & Rubber Appoints Takashi Shimizu as New President

Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd. has unofficially named Senior Corporate Officer Takashi Shimizu as its next president and Katsumi Komaguchi, former representative director and deputy chairman of Kyocera Document Solutions, as its next chairman of the board. Shimizu was appointed for his familiarity with the company’s tire enterprise worldwide, and for having the resolve, volition, and managerial abilities and qualifications required of...

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New Toyoda Gosei Fuel Cap Does Not Require Opening or Closing

Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd. is the first Japanese automotive parts manufacturer to develop and mass produce a “Cap Less Fueling Device” which enables fueling without the opening or closing of the fuel cap, simply by inserting the fuel dispensing nozzle into the device. This device is equipped with conducting capabilities to prevent the ignition of flames that might occur due...

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Bridgestone Develops Tires With Heightened On-ice Performance

This winter, Bridgestone Corp. will again deploy a marketing strategy that places importance on on-ice performance with a focus on their Blizzak VRX studless tires, which have reached their third sales season. According to a survey by the company, the domestic demand for studless tires is approximately 18 million units (2013). The survey shows that, until now, the demand ratio...

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