Bridgestone/Firestone Closing Mexico Plant

Less than a month after taking the wraps off its new automated tire plant in Mexico, Bridgestone Americas Holding has opted to close its existing tire plant in Mexico City.

BAH subsidiary Bridgestone/ Firestone de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. announced that it would close the 70-year-old bias ply plant in the second half of 2008.

The company claimed that its inability to expand the aging plant led to the decision. “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,” said the company in a statement.

In addition, the plant sits on three separate parcels, and one of the owners has put his portion of the property up for sale, which would have forced the plant to close.

The Mexico City plant employs 175 full-time employees.

It is likely that many of the plant’s workers will be eligible to retire, based on their length of service.

BAH still operates a plant in Cuernavaca and the recently opened automated tire plant in Monterrey.

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