Bridgestone will close Mexico City plant

Bridgestone Americas Holding Inc. will close its Mexico City tire manufacturing plant during the second half of 2008. "This difficult decision was necessary because essential expansion of the plant is not feasible due to its metropolitan location, locked in on all sides by commercial and residential development," say Bridgestone officials.

"Expansion of the plant is critical to the facility’s future profitability through the production of more technologically sophisticated and market-demand driven products."

The factory is equipped to mainly build bias-ply light truck and truck/bus tires, "a diminishing segment of the overall market which is dominated by low-cost producers."