The plant General Manager Yves Malouin emphasizes that "this investmenttruly confirms the Joliette facility as a world-class plant. We're reaping therewards of our workforce's expertise, our close relationship with the union,and our employees' commitment to producing the highest quality tires. We'llsoon be better equipped than ever to face the increasingly fiercecompetition," explained Malouin.
"We'll also be using the investment to maintain and enhance our highquality standards, and to prepare for what we see as the future needs of ourcustomers. These initiatives are in line with our CEO's, John Lampe, visionwhich is called "Making It Right". Moreover, this investment will allow us toincrease our share of the North American market. One of the main advantages ofthe Joliette plant is its ability to absorb and manage new technologies. Thisinnovative plant has earned a reputation for its sound expertise and itsability to integrate and implement new technology efficiently. Because it's sostreamlined, it can adapt to change very quickly," added Yves Malouin.
Of the 11 Bridgestone/Firestone tire manufacturing plants in NorthAmerica, the Joliette facility is the only one based in Canada. Inaugurated inOctober 1966 by Firestone, the facility has produced over 81 million tires forautomobile manufacturers and consumers. Since Bridgestone/Firestone acquiredthe plant in 1989, it has invested $275 million in it. With a surface area ofover 1 million square feet (94,000 square meters), the plant employs over1,000 people and produces 15,000 tires daily, 90% of which are for export.