BRIDGESTONE AMERICAS TO HOST FIRST INSTALLATION OF NEW TIRE BUILDING SYSTEM OUTSIDE JAPAN

BIRD System to be Cornerstone of New Mexican Plant

NASHVILLE, Tenn. January 28, 2005 - Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. (BSAH), the U.S. based subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, today announced that the first installation of BIRD (Bridgestone s revolutionary new tire production system) outside Japan would occur at a new plant to be constructed in the state of Nuevo Leon, Mexico. The facility will be located in the city of Monterrey and will produce high performance, ultra-high performance and large rim diameter passenger and light truck tires, primarily for the North American tire market.

Site work on the plant, which will be a subsidiary of BSAH, is expected to begin in the near future, with operations targeted to begin in July 2007. The plant will have a production capacity of about 8,000 tires per day and expects to employ about 200 teammates. Investment in the plant is expected to total approximately $220 million.

BIRD is the world s first production system for tires that completely automates all stages of tire manufacturing, from the initial processing of materials to final inspection of the finished product. In addition to its ability to fully automate the tire production process, BIRD is also capable of producing several different types and sizes of tires simultaneously, allowing for great flexibility and the ability to be responsive to customer needs. The name BIRD  is an acronym for Bridgestone Innovative and Rational Development.  The first full production installation of the BIRD system occurred earlier this year at Bridgestone Corporation s Hikone plant in Japan.

Once completed, the new facility will be the 49th tire plant in the global Bridgestone Group of companies, and the third such plant located in Mexico. The two existing plants are located in Mexico City and Cuernavaca. The new plant is representative of the Bridgestone Group s commitment to building a global sourcing network that can respond quickly and flexibly to the continuing growth in world demand for automotive tires. The Bridgestone Group of companies is expanding production capacity around the world to more effectively service this growth in demand and it is committed to building plants as necessary to support its global sourcing strategy and fulfill the needs of its customers.

Nashville-based Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of the Bridgestone Corporation. BSAH, through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures and markets a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone, Dayton and associate and private brand tires to address the needs of a broad range of customers, including consumers, automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturers and those in the agricultural, forestry and mining industries. The companies also produce air springs, roofing materials, synthetic rubber and industrial fibers and textiles and operate the world s largest chain of automotive tire and service centers.

Source: Bridgestone/Firstone Media Center 1-877-201-2373

Information: Paul Vaillancourt III / Deanne Beck Torchia Communications 514 288 8290 / paulv@torchiacom.com 705 792 5831 / dbeck@torchiacom.com