MONTERREY, Mexico, and NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Nov. 6, 2007) – Top officials from Bridgestone Corporation (BSJ), Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. (BSAH), Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT) and Bridgestone Neumáticos de Monterrey, S.A. de C.V. (BSMR), along with a number of representatives from the city of Monterrey, state of Nuevo Leon and Republic of Mexico, will celebrate the grand opening of the new BSMR tire manufacturing facility in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, on Wednesday. The plant is the first of its kind outside of Japan to operate with breakthrough “BIRD” technology, the new revolutionary tire production system from BSJ.

“We at Bridgestone Americas are very proud of this new venture,” said Mark A. Emkes, BSAH and BFNT Chairman and CEO. “Opening this plant in Monterrey, an ideal location to serve our customers, is an important component of the Bridgestone group’s global sourcing strategy to meet the needs of our customers now and in the future.”

Governor of the state of Nuevo Leon, José Natividad González Parás, said he is pleased with the Bridgestone family’s expansion into Monterrey. “The Monterrey community is delighted to host this new member of the Bridgestone global group in this capacity,” Parás said. “This partnership is a testament to our region’s high quality workforce, which is helping Nuevo Leon State become a thriving investment destination. With the creation of more than 200 jobs and possibility that other companies may want to be near this new facility, the benefits of the new plant will be ongoing.”

With a production capacity of about 8,000 tires a day, the Monterrey plant has generated more than $200 million in investment to date. It is the first plant outside of Japan to use the new BIRD tire production system, which stands for “Bridgestone Innovative and Rational Development.” 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. Additionally, the BIRD system allows great flexibility and responsiveness to customer needs because of its capacity to make several different types and sizes of tires simultaneously.

The 47th tire plant of the global Bridgestone Group, the Monterrey facility is the third to be built in Mexico; the other two are located in Mexico City and Cuernavaca. The BSMR plant will primarily serve the North American tire market, producing high performance, ultra high performance, and large rim diameter passenger and light truck tires. With the opening of the Monterrey plant, the Bridgestone Group maintains its commitment to building a global sourcing network that can respond quickly and flexibly to the continuing growth in world demand for automotive tires. The Group is currently constructing three additional plants, one each in Hungary, Poland and Japan.

“This marks a special day for the Bridgestone family of companies,” said BSMR President Yuichi Nakada. “Our efforts in Monterrey represent our growing production capacity and further demonstrate our commitment to fulfilling the needs of our customers worldwide. We look forward to being a part of the Monterrey community for years to come.”