The Japanese tire producer, Bridgestone has decided to move its Middle Eastern and African management from its headquarters in Japan to the Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai. This new regional office will be inaugurated on June 16th. This step came just four months after Bridgestone opened a distribution center at Jebel Ali.
According to the Bridgestone distributor in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, Naser ben Abd al Latif al Sarkal, the Jebel Ali Free Zone authorities permitted the Japanese firm to expand its distribution center to 36,000 sq. meters from its current 6,500 sq. meter area. This project will be completed by mid-2001. Al Sarkal predicts that the expansion of this center and the new regional offices will allow Bridgestone to raise its export volume from 120 containers to 450 containers by the end of the renovation project , al Bayan daily reported.
Bridgestone has 43 tire plants in 21 different nations around the world. One example is the established joint venture plant in Turkey which opened in 1988. This plant caters to the local demand and in addition, exports their tires. Local plants supply the majority of the tires the company sells in the world's principle markets. The company manufactures a variety of products including; tires and tubes for passenger cars, trucks and buses, construction and mining vehicles, industrial and agricultural machinery and other transportation products such as motorcycles and scooters. Bridgestone also produces chemical and industrial products such as noise insulation materials, foam products, office components and marine products.
- albawaba.com
© 2000 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
