Business Description
Bridgestone sells tyres for passenger cars, trucks and buses, aircraft, motorcycles and — most profitably — the giant off-the-road tyres fitted to mining haul trucks, where a single tyre can cost tens of thousands of dollars and the field is limited to a handful of manufacturers. A diversified arm makes conveyor belts, hoses, seismic isolation bearings and bicycles.
Roughly three-quarters of tyre revenue comes from replacement rather than original equipment, which makes earnings steadier than an automaker's: cars already on the road need new tyres regardless of how many new ones are sold. Raw-material costs, chiefly natural rubber and oil derivatives, and freight are the main swing factors. Founded in 1931 in Kurume, Fukuoka by Shojiro Ishibashi — whose surname, literally stone bridge, was inverted to make the company's name — it reports on a December fiscal year.
Corporate Data
| Ticker | 5108 |
|---|---|
| Exchange | Tokyo Stock Exchange |
| Size Category | TOPIX Large70 |
| Market Segment | Prime Market |
| Sector | Rubber Products |
| Head Office | 3-1-1 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-8340, Japan |
| Founded | March 1, 1931 |
| Fiscal Year End | December 31 |
| Website | Official website |