［Japan Stocks ］Bridgestone Corporation

5108 (TSE Prime)

• Market Cap: ¥4.3 trillion
• Stock Price: ¥6,000
• Revenue: ¥4.1 trillion
• Operating Profit: ¥440 billion

Business Description: Tire Manufacturer
Established: 1931
Headquarters: 3-1-1 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo (Tokyo Square Garden), Japan
CEO: Shuichi Ishibashi (Representative Executive Officer and Global CEO)
Number of Employees: 129,000
Major Shareholders: Ishibashi Foundation 10.89%, SMBC Nikko Securities 3.08%, Hiroshi Ishibashi 2.98%, Nippon Life Insurance 2.5%

Overview

Bridgestone Corporation is a Japanese tire manufacturer founded by Shojiro Ishibashi, headquartered in Chuo-ku, Tokyo. It is a component of the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX Large70 indices. Bridgestone is one of the world’s largest tire and rubber companies.

The name “Bridgestone” is a combination of “bridge” and “stone,” derived from the founder’s surname, Ishibashi. Bridgestone is one of the top three global tire manufacturers, offering a wide range of tires for passenger vehicles, trucks and buses, motorcycles, aircraft, construction and mining vehicles, and agricultural machinery. The company owns the American tire company Firestone.

Bridgestone also operates in the tennis (announced withdrawal in 2020), golf, and bicycle sectors. In 2019, it acquired the telematics business from Dutch company TomTom for approximately $1 billion, aiming to enhance big data analytics through tires. Bridgestone is transitioning from its traditional tire manufacturing and sales business to a new business model called “TaaS” (Tire-as-a-Service). Its golf balls are marketed under brands such as TOURSTAGE, Newing, Reygrande, and TOUR B, among others.

In Japan, the tires sold are typically purchased by sales companies from Bridgestone and then supplied to the market. Sales companies, once present in each prefecture, have largely been consolidated into a single nationwide entity. The company’s retail brands include “Bridgestone Tire Shop,” “Cockpit,” “Tire Kan,” and “Mr. Tireman.”

Approximately 25% of sales revenue comes from Japan, with nearly half originating from the Americas.

Product & Business Model

Tire Division

Tires and tubes for passenger vehicles, trucks and buses, construction, industrial, agricultural vehicles, aircraft, subways (Sapporo Municipal Transportation), motorcycles, and bicycles.

Diversified Businesses