Bridgestone

1930 Tire division at Ishibashi family's footwear company, makes first tires in Kurume, on Kyushu.

1931 Shojiro Ishibashi establishes Bridgestone Tire Co., Ltd., in Kurume

1934 Full-scale tire production begins at newly completed plant in Kurume

1935 Bridgestone begins mass-producing golf balls

1937 Moves headquarters to Tokyo
Begins producing V-belts and rubber hoses; also begins making prototypes of antivibration products

1942 Changes name to Nippon Tire Co., Ltd.

1951 Changes name back to Bridgestone Tire Co., Ltd.
Completes new headquarters building in Tokyo

1953 Becomes Japan's largest tire manufacturer as annual sales reach \10 billion

1956 Marks 25th anniversary; commemorative events include Ishibashi Cultural Center in Kurume and donating it to city

1961 Makes initial public offering of shares in May, lists shares on Tokyo and Osaka stock exchanges in October

1962 Develops Japan's first steel radial tires for trucks and buses Completes technical center at Tokyo Plant

1964 Develops Japan's first radial tires for passenger cars

1965 Begins producing tires in Malaysia─company's first overseas production since World War II

1966 Jingle composed for Bridgestone television commercials becomes nationwide sensation

1967 Establishes formal guidelines for affiliated independent retailers
Establishes U.S. marketing subsidiary in Los Angeles

1968 Expresses corporate motto formally as "Serving society with superior quality"
Earns prestigious Deming Prize for exemplary quality control

1970 Sponsors first Bridgestone Golf Tournament (now called Bridgestone Open)

1976 Bridgestone founder Shojiro Ishibashi dies

1982 Opens first Cockpit retail outlet for tires and car accessories, near Tokyo
Introduces Japan's first studless snow tire

1983 Acquires first U.S. plant by purchasing tire plant in Tennessee from The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company

1984 Undertakes sweeping corporate branding program
Changes corporate name to Bridgestone Corporation and adopts new corporate logo mark

1988 Acquires Firestone─second largest tire manufacturer in United States─for $2.6 billion

1989 Integrates North American operations as Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc.

1990 Establishes Bridgestone/Firestone Europe S.A. to coordinate European operations

1993 Places all sporting goods operations under management of subsidiary Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.

1994 Integrates European marketing and logistics under Bridgestone/Firestone Europe

1995 Returns Firestone brand to Indy car racing

1997 Enters Formula One (F1) competition

1998 Bridgestone-equipped F1 competitors capture drivers' and constructors' season championships

1999 Absorbs subsidiary Bridgestone Metalpha Corporation, which produces steel tire cord

2000 Completes large additions to flagship technical center for tires at Tokyo Plant and to flagship technical center for diversified products at Yokohama Plant

2001 Opens corporate museum, Bridgestone Today, at Tokyo Plant Issues Bridgestone Way, which comprises spirit, mission, management stance, pledges, and guidelines
Americas subsidiary, Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc., reorganizes operations under newly established holding company, Bridgestone/Firestone Americas Holding, Inc.

2002 Founder Shojiro Ishibashi inducted into Japan Automotive Hall of Fame
Issues management vision, brand vision, and environmental charter

2003 Bridgestone/Firestone Americas Holding changes name to Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc.
Bridgestone/Firestone Europe changes name to Bridgestone Europe NV/SA
Issues declaration of comprehensive commitment to safety and restructures safety-assurance organization

2004 Establishes Bridgestone（China）Investment Co., Ltd., in Shanghai to manage tire operations in China
_2005_ Launches New brand "Playz" for Japan Domestic Market for the first time in 24 years