Japanese Fundamentals and Hungarian Dedication

“Serving society with superior quality” – this mission has defined the operation of Bridgestone Group and the corporation’s Hungarian factory, Bridgestone Tatabánya plant since the beginning. The principles of the Japanese founder, Shojiro Ishibashi permeates the operation of Bridgestone even today, referring not only to the quality of the products and services of the company, but also to its commitment for making the world around us even more livable.

Since production started in 2007 at Bridgestone Tatabánya, the company has been committed to ensuring the well-being and satisfaction of its colleagues in addition to producing high-quality products, while implementing value-creating community programs. The past years stand as a testament to all these aspirations.

Challenging times nurture resistant companies
In recent years, the automotive industry faced headwinds in the form of economic uncertainties, intense competition from other market players and fluctuating consumer purchasing. Despite the challenges, Bridgestone Tatabánya had in 2024 a year marked by developments, the expansion of its product range, community initiatives, social initiatives and earning multiple awards and recognitions.
The company not only leverages its strategic location and robust infrastructure to serve both Western and Eastern European markets effectively, but also adopted a proactive approach, ensuring seamless operations and allowing the factory to meet demand even during market disruptions.

Enhanced focus on sustainability
The pursuit of a greener future has long been a fundamental pillar of the company’s corporate policy. Within its commitments, the global ambition of Bridgestone is to halve its carbon footprint by 2030 and to cover its entire energy consumption from sustainable sources by 2050. Since then, both the Group and its plants have been working towards achieving these large-scale goals.
From March 2020, Bridgestone Tatabánya covers 100% of its electricity consumption from certified renewable sources. The eco-portal’s heating, cooling, hot water supply, lighting and operation of electrical equipment is covered by solar panels. In the past few years, three heat pumps were put into operation, with a total capacity of 90kW. In the future, the company plans to expand the use of solar panels and to utilize biomass.
As Melinda Topolcsik, Managing Director of the Bridgestone Tatabánya factory says, “taking responsibility for society and the environment has been an integral and prioritized part of the company’s operations since its foundation more than 90 years ago, and it continued to be even more significant today.”

Creating community value with the help of colleagues
The Hungarian facility respects and embraces the traditions of its Japanese parent company, incorporating a corporate culture that prioritizes the well-being of the local community; thus, it actively engages in numerous initiatives aimed at supporting and enriching the surrounding communities.
In 2024, the factory’s volunteers continued their active involvement in nature conservation efforts. The environmental initiatives included a community cleanup of the Vértes Kőhányás mountain area, revitalizing the flower beds on Dózsa György Street in Tatabánya by planting over 1,800 perennial plants, and helping to preserve the habitat of the highly protected Ferula sadleriana Ledeb by clearing bushes and maintaining fences on the Nagy-Pisznice mountainside.
Immediate assistance and dedication were demonstrated last fall, during one of the most severe floodings of the Danube in recent years. Bridgestone Tatabánya’s volunteers were among the first to respond, assisting with flood protection efforts in critical areas such as Neszmély and Nyergesújfalu.

Internal cohesion with community building
Supporting employee wellbeing, both physical and mental, with a variety of programs and activities is a high priority for the company. “At Bridgestone Tatabánya, almost every month of the year has a program or some kind gesture, in which I am very happy to take an active role,” Yoshii Kiyotaka, expert of the Bridgestone Tatabánya factory, who joined the Hungarian plant at the end of September last year, highlights. Yoshii-san has been working at Bridgestone for 32 years. Over the past 8 years, he has worked in three different factories as a senior production manager in Japan, acquiring broad knowledge of various tire plants. “I am pleased to see how much emphasis the Hungarian factory places on employee satisfaction. So far, I participated in a fundraising campaign and a hot chocolate program serving the delicacies to the colleagues. I am excited to participate in professional and community-building activities in the future,” Yoshii-san added.
At Bridgestone Tatabánya, the past years were about stability, strengthening common goals, community building, and creating social value, and the company’s efforts were marked by a strong employer brand, market presence and diverse recognition.