Bridgestone Investing $250M In Costa Rica Tire Plant Expansion
Bridgestone Americas will add 160 jobs at its tire manufacturing plant in Heredia, while bot management and account security firm Arkose Labs opens an office in San Jose.
Bridgestone Americas will invest approximately $190 million to renovate and expand its tire manufacturing plant located in Belén de Heredia, Costa Rica. The investment is on top of more than $60 million already planned for 2022-2026, bringing the company’s total investment to more than $250 million over the five-year period. These investments will enable the company to extend its facilities and increase its production capacity up to 36% by 2026 and add more than 160 new permanent jobs.
“This new capital investment represents an important step for Bridgestone’s tire production capacity, and it also reinforces our commitment to contributing to Costa Rica’s economic and social development,” said Alfonso Zendejas, president of Bridgestone Latin America North, Bridgestone Americas. “This investment strengthens Bridgestone’s commitment to Costa Rica as a strategic location for local and global business activities and further contributes to our ability to maximize value for all of our stakeholders.”
(Source: Bridgestone)
From 2020 to date, Bridgestone Costa Rica has invested more than $38.5 million, of which $36 million has been destined for modernization and efficiency projects for the tire manufacturing plant, $2 million for the expansion of the plant in Turrialba, and $500,000 to strengthen the operations of the Bridgestone Business Services operations, according to CINDE, the Investment Promotion Agency of Costa Rica.
“At Bridgestone, we believe in the great potential of the Latin American market, as well as the high levels of quality and reliability of the local workforce. Thanks to the trust of the corporation and the daily commitment of our teammates, Latin America will remain one of the most outstanding regions for the company worldwide,” said Celso Villalva, vice president of Latin American Manufacturing, Bridgestone Americas.
The expansion of the Costa Rica plant supports the Bridgestone E8 commitment that places sustainability at the center of the company’s strategy. Bridgestone E8 consists of eight values: Energy, Ecology, Efficiency, Extension, Economy, Emotion, Ease, and Empowerment. This includes the adoption of new machines and manufacturing technologies, as well as the replacement of two fuel-oil boilers with electrical ones, resulting in more efficient production with zero carbon emissions.
“With the expansion of the plant, we will be able to continue to meet the current and future needs of our customers, focusing on the production of premium tires for domestic and export markets and sustainable solutions with products that will be ready for the digital age,” explained Pablo Jiménez, manufacturing director of Bridgestone Costa Rica, Bridgestone Americas.
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