Bridgestone

Bridgestone Corporation (株式会社ブリヂストン, Kabushiki gaisha Burijisuton) is a Japanese multinational tire and rubber manufacturing company based in Kyōbashi, Tokyo. Founded in 1931 by Shōjirō Ishibashi in Kurume, it primarily manufactures tires, as well as golf equipment. In addition to automotive tires, the company produces tires for bicycles, motorcycles, and airplanes. The name Bridgestone comes from a calque translation and transposition of the founder's surname, meaning 'stone bridge' in Japanese. Bridgestone purchased the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company in 1988 and has supplied tires for motersport events including Formula One, Le Mans, and Grand Prix motorcycle racing, among others. Bridgestone was also the official tire of the Olympic games until 2024. In add In 2011, the company was charged with bribery and bid rigging in Latin America, and in 2014, was fined $425 million for price fixing and bid rigging by the United States Department of Justice. The company has been the world's second-largest tire manufacturer by annual revenue since 2021. As of July 2018, Bridgestone Group has 181 production facilities in 24 countries.