Bridgestone ブリヂストン

Bridgestone traces back to the Ishibashi family's tabi (split-toe sock) manufacturing business in Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture. Founder Shojiro Ishibashi began producing rubber-soled tabi and diversified into rubber tires, spinning off the tire operations as an independent company, Bridgestone Tire Co., Ltd., in 1931. The English name reverses the meaning of the founder's surname — 'Ishibashi' translates to 'stone bridge' — into 'Bridgestone'.

Bridgestone grew into a major Japanese manufacturer and expanded internationally, most notably by acquiring American tire maker Firestone Tire and Rubber Company in 1988 — a deal that dramatically increased its global scale and gave it a strong foothold in the U.S. market under the combined Bridgestone/Firestone brand. Bridgestone has repeatedly ranked among the world's largest tire manufacturers by sales, and its businesses also span golf equipment and industrial rubber products.