Bridgestone Corporation is a Japanese multinational vehicle and truck components manufacturer founded in Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan in 1931 by Shojiro Ishibashi. Bridgestone is a calque translation and transposition of Ishibashi, which means “stone bridge” in Japanese.
Bridgestone/Firestone is the world’s largest tire producer as of 2021. Michelin (France), Goodyear (USA), MRF (India), Continental (Germany), and Pirelli followed (Italy).
As of July 2018, Bridgestone Group operated 181 manufacturing plants in 24 countries.