Bridgestone confirms PE plant’s closure on 15 November

Tyre giant Bridgestone has confirmed that its plant in Port Elizabeth will shut down on 15 November after a series of consultations with employees and unions.

The announcement comes after the Japanese brand announced in August that it had submitted a Section 189 proposal to close the plant due to the rise of not only cheaper marques, but also the declining need for older radial tyres.

“The unfortunate reality is that the plant is simply unable to produce the radial tyre that industry is rapidly moving towards. Upgrading the factory to produce radial tyres would have necessitated an investment in a completely new multibillion-rand plant, which is not feasible or justifiable under any circumstances,” CEO Jacques Fourie said in a statement.

He stated that the closure, which will impact the lives of 252 employees, had been put off for years in order for a solution to be found, but that all attempts failed despite the plant being sold to investors in order to keep its doors open.

“The proposal to close the plant was not taken lightly and the impact on employees has been taken into account from the outset. We endeavored to treat employees with the utmost compassion and fairness to support them through the change, while adhering to all legal requirements and due diligence,” Fourie said.

Bridgestone has however reaffirmed its commitment to South Africa by confirming that the plant’s closure won’t affect the operations of the facility in Brits, which will continue without any changes.

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