INTRODUCTION

Bridgestone was founded by Shojiro Ishibashi in 1931.  From the beginning, he held international aspirations for his business, and named the company "Bridgestone".  The surname "Ishi-bashi" literally means "stone-bridge."  Since the foundation, Bridgestone has continued to send out into the world products of the highest level, using innovative technology always at the forefront of the times.

Some of Bridgestone achievements

:

	Highest turnover in the worldwide rubber manufacturers  (No. 1 for the 16 consecutive years since 1988)
	One of the leading tyre manufacturers (Share of world tyre market in 2004: 18.2%)
	Over 100 plants in 25 countries
	Total number of employees in the Bridgestone group reaches over 113,000
	Technical centers:  Japan(Tokyo) / USA(Akron) / Europe(Rome) / China(Wuxi) in 2006
	Test courses:  11 locations in the world  (one established in Rome in 2004 and another in China in 2007)
	Top tyre supplier for automobile manufacturers (major supplier to both Japanese and some European top manufacturers)

Bridgestone Run Flat Tyre

As one of the world's leading tyre manufacturer, Bridgestone is constantly striving to improve not just the performance of its tyres, but safety as well.  80% of tyre incidents involve gradual release of tyre pressure.

Therefore we set out to design a tyre that enables safe driving and control of the vehicle even with zero pressure.  RFT or Run-Flat-Tyre technology does away with concerns about flat tyres.  RFT provides enhanced safety and peace of mind, and is set to become the new standard for tyre safety.

What is RFT?

RFT or Run-Flat-Tyre is exactly what its name suggests.  RFT can be used even when there is no air in the tyres due to punctures or air leaks.  Conventional tyres flatten and cannot support the car when there is no air in it, and will shred if the driver attempts to drive further. 

Safety

	RFT does not burst at high speed - you are able to control and drive the car to a safe location in the event of a puncture.
	You do not have the tedious and sometimes dangerous task of changing tyres, especially along higways, crowded or deserted roads.

Convenience

	RFT eliminates the need for carrying a spare tyre freeing up extra space in the vehicle.
	No spare tyre means less vehicle weight and better fuel economy.

Bridgestone has developed run flat tyres that work with conventional wheels.  Run flat tyres allow an automobile to continue travelling safely for a specified distance up to a specified speed after a sudden loss of tyre pressure.  The automobile with run flat tyres can also drive 80km at a speed of 80km/hr.

Top automobile manufacturers have already estimated the innovative technology and Bridgestone supplies run flat tyres to FERRARI, BMW, AUDI, MERCEDES-BENZ, LEXUS, NISSAN, VOLKSWAGEN, MASERATI, TOYOTA, DAIHATSU and others, for use in their top-of-the-line models.

BRIDGESTONE TIRE FINDER

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