Tires – Bridgestone maintains the motorcycle logistics activity of the Bethune plant –

Posted on by admin

Bridgestone maintains the motorcycle logistics activity of the Bethune plant

Tires - Bridgestone maintains the motorcycle logistics activity of the Bethune plant -

Hard blow for the 863 employees of the Bridgestone plant in Bethune (62): the Japanese manufacturer plans to close its car tire manufacturing site on the grounds in particular of a lack of competitiveness. When questioned by MNC, Bridgestone France announced, however, that it would continue its storage and rerouting activities for motorcycle tires. Explanations.

Built in 1961, at the time under the Firestone banner, the Bridgestone factory in Bethune (62) is the third largest job provider in the district of this Pas-de-Calais town … Its closure – deemed "brutal and unacceptable" by the government and the President of the Hauts-de-France region, Xavier Bertrand – constitutes an economic and human shock insofar as it concerns no less than 863 employees.

  • MNC practical guide : All about motorcycle tires
  • MNC file : 

While saying it is "fully aware of the social consequences of such a project", the Japanese manufacturer justifies its decision as "the only option that would allow the competitiveness of Bridgestone’s operations in Europe". The dilapidated Bethune site is described by its owner as "the least efficient of all European Bridgestone factories".

The Bethune plant, the only Bridgestone manufacturing site in France, mainly produces 14-inch automotive tires, a format that is losing ground and above all in strong competition from "low-cost Asian brands", explains the tire manufacturer, who considers that he has taken "all measures to improve the industrial performance of the plant".

Motorcycle tire logistics platform

This structure, which has been losing speed for several years, does not only manufacture car tires: it also houses an important logistics platform for motorcycle and scooter tires. Tires for motorized two-wheelers, coming from other Bridgestone factories and in particular from Japan, are transported, sorted and stored there.

 Tires - Bridgestone maintains the motorcycle logistics activity of the Bethune plant -

These motorcycle and scooter tires are then re-routed to French and European points of sale according to demand, logistics essential to the smooth running of activities. Good news for French employment: this platform dedicated to two-wheelers is not affected by the cessation of activity of the site !

"The Bethune plant does not manufacture 2WD tires but does host a logistics activity for these categories of tires: we can confirm that the logistics activity, managed by Bridgestone Europe, will continue in Bethune", answers Bridgestone France..

When questioned by MNC, the company, however, remains silent on the number of employees assigned to this platform … Bridgestone France simply replies that its "commercial subsidiary and its distribution network" would represent in all "approximately 3,500 employees in France".

 Tires - Bridgestone maintains the motorcycle logistics activity of the Bethune plant -

The closure of the Bethune plant is scheduled for "second quarter 2021", announces Bridgestone which assures that this project of cessation of activity "is not indicative of the commitment of the employees, nor of their many years of work at provide high quality products to our customers ".

Bridgestone Corporation, founded by Shojiro Ishibashi in 1931, describes itself as "the world’s largest manufacturer of tires and other rubber products". The group based in Tokyo (Japan) employs "more than 140,000 people worldwide" in its 178 factories, including 16,000 in Europe.. 

Related articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *