APTC started operations in 2013 at the North of Bangkok. This regional technical center was established with the aim of improving product value for the Asia Pacific region’s customers, by providing technical support and carrying out research and development in the region, through information obtained from local markets.
This can come in the form of improved tyre design or compound, to better adapt an existing product to the local customer requirement which it is used on, or to improve a product’s safety, performance and durability through tyre and material testing. This is achieved through APTC’s functions of Quality Management, Tyre Development, Material Development and Procurement, and Production Technology.
APTC current has 90 employees from various nationalities (Indian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, and Thai) and relocated to the new and larger laboratory facility at end March 2015, for the installation of new machinery. “In order to achieve Dan-Totsu in the Asia Pacific markets - which continue to grow and change rapidly - Bridgestone believes that APTC must strengthen its framework for research and development. This will allow Bridgestone to improve our products and business quality, and provide the best products for our diverse groups of customer.” said, Mr. Hideki Komatsu, Vice President and Senior Officer, Responsible for Global Innovation, Bridgestone Corporation, who attended the ceremony.
“By working close to the markets, APTC will enable Bridgestone to grasp changes in our customers’ needs, and reflect them in the development of our products.” remarked Mr. Naoto Yamagishi, Managing Director of Bridgestone Asia Pacific Technical Center Co., Ltd. He also shared that his goal is for APTC “to be a real regional technical center”, to achieve customer satisfaction through products that offer high levels of safety and quality.
The Bridgestone Group plans to increase its presence in the Asia Pacific region through enhancing research and development, expanding its sales network, and increasing tire production capacity, as it strives to achieve its mission of “Serving Society with Superior Quality”.
Overview of Bridgestone Asia Pacific Technical Center
| 1. Company name | : Bridgestone Asia Pacific Technical Center Co., Ltd. |
| 2. Location | : Pathum Thani Province, Thailand. |
| 3. Date of establishment | : March 2013. |
| 4. Representative | : Mr. Naoto Yamagishi - Managing Director. |
| 5. Capital | : Approximately 30 million USD. |
| 6. Equity ownership | : 100% Bridgestone Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. Owned. |
| 7. Number of employees | : Approximately 90 employees (as of end of April, 2015). |
| 8. Operations |
: Quality management, Tyre development, Material development and procurement, Production technology. |
About Bridgestone Corporation:
Bridgestone Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, is the world’s largest tire and rubber company. In addition to tires for use in a wide variety of applications, it also manufactures a broad range of diversified products, which include industrial rubber and chemical products and sporting goods. Its products are sold in over 150 nation and territories around the world.