History


  • 1900 The Firestone Tyre & Rubber Company, Akron, is founded August 3 and the solid-rubber sidewire tyre is introduced.
  • 1906 Firestone makes its first delivery of tyres to the Ford Motor Company. This was the largest single order for pneumatic automobile tyres that had ever been placed.
  • 1931 Shojiro Ishibashi establishes the Bridgestone Tyre Co. Ltd in Kyushu Japan.
  • 1934 Full-scale tyre production begins at the Bridgestone's newly completed plant in Kurume.
  • 1935 Bridgestone begins mass-producing golf balls.
  • 1936 Bridgestone moves headquarters to Tokyo. They begin making V-belts, rubber hoses, and vibration-isolating components.
  • 1947 Firestone opens the New Zealand manufacturing plant in Christchurch. The first New Zealand made tyre is produced.
  • 1951 Bridgestone begins producing foam rubber.
  • 1952 Bridgestone sales top ¥ 10 billion and Bridgestone becomes Japan's largest tyre maker.
  • 1956 Bridgestone marks its 25th anniversary. Commemorative events include opening the Ishibashi Cultural Center in Kurume and donating it to city.
  • 1957 Firestone produces the first New Zealand made tubeless tyre.
  • 1958 Researchers at Bridgestone succeed in developing a polymerisation process for making cis-1, 4-polybutadiene synthetic rubber.
  • 1960 Bridgestone develop Japan's first steel radial tyres for trucks and buses.
  • 1960 Bridgestone completes the technical center at the Tokyo Plant.
  • 1964 Bridgestone develops Japan's first radial tyre for cars.
  • 1965 Production begins at new Bridgestone plant in Malaysia, the company's first overseas production since World War II.
  • 1968 Bridgestone expresses their corporate motto formally as "Serving society with superior quality"
  • 1968 Bridgestone Earns prestigious Deming Prize for exemplary quality control.
  • 1970 Bridgestone sponsor their first golf tournament (now called the 'Bridgestone Open').
  • 1970 Bridgestone begin marketing aluminum wheels for cars.
  • 1976 Bridgestone develop technology for converting scrap tyres into supplemental fuel for cement kilns.
  • 1978 Firestone become the first in New Zealand to install an X-Ray Unit for quality control.
  • 1980 Firestone become the first in New Zealand to produce an "H"-Rated (210kph) tyre.
  • 1982 Bridgestone opens the first cockpit retail outlet for tyres and car accessories, near Tokyo
  • 1982 Bridgestone introduces Japan's first studless snow tyre
  • 1983 Bridgestone change name from Bridgestone Tyre Co., Ltd, to Bridgestone Corporation.
  • 1983 Bridgestone acquires first U.S. plant by purchasing tyre plant in Tennessee from The Firestone tyre & Rubber Company
  • 1985 Firestone becomes the first in New Zealand to obtain the Standards Association "S" mark for retreading.
  • 1986 Porsche adopts Bridgestone's RE71 ultra-high-performance tyres as factory equipment on it's limited-edition 959 car, the world's fastest production car at the time.
  • 1986 Firestone becomes the first in New Zealand to produce a Steel-Belted Light Truck tyre.
  • 1988 The Bridgestone/Firestone company forms to become the largest tyre company in the world.
  • 1992 Firestone become the first in the Southern Hemisphere to produce an "S"-Rated Steel-Belted Light truck tyre.
  • 1992 Firestone become the first in Australasia to produce a "V"-Rated tyre.
  • 1992 Firestone receives the Ford Q101 quality standard in New Zealand.
  • 1992 Firestone celebrate 20 million tyres produced at the Christchurch plant.
  • 1995 Firestone receives IS09002 quality standard in New Zealand.
  • 1995 Bridgestone returns the Firestone sponsorship to Indy car racing
  • 1996 The Bridgestone corporation purchases the Bridgestone New Zealand distributorship and associated retail and retread operations.
  • 1996 Firestone launches the NZ Made RMT tyre.
  • 1997 Firestone launches the NZ Made Eurosteel F570.
  • 1997 Firestone introduces the Economy tyre range.
  • 1997 Bridgestone enters the Formula One (F1) competition.
  • 1998 Bridgestone/Firestone New Zealand Limited forms.
  • 2001 Bridgestone opens corporate museum 'Bridgestone Today'at Tokyo Plant.
  • 2001 Bridgestone issues the 'Bridgestone Way', which comprises spirit, mission, management stance, pledges, and guidelines
  • 2002 Bridgestone issues its management vision, brand vision, and environmental charter
  • 2003 Bridgestone/Firestone New Zealand Limited changes name to Bridgestone New Zealand Limited
  • 2003 Bridgestone issues its declaration of comprehensive commitment to safety and restructures safety-assurance organization
  • 2007 The Bridgestone Potenza RE001 Adrenalin performance tyre is launched.
  • 2007Bridgestone acquires Bandag - a leading manufacturer of tyre retreading materials and equipment
  • 2008The Firestone Destination 4x4 range of tyres is launched. This includes a Highway Terrain, All Terrain and Mud Terrain.
  • 2009Bridgestone Australia Ltd and Bridgestone New Zealand Ltd join to form one organisation. This allows a greater sharing of knowledge, resources and efficiencies.
  • 2009The Bridgestone Turanza AR10 touring tyre is launched.
  • 2009Bridgestone launches the new Ecopia fuel efficient and environmentally friendly range of car tyres.