Bridgestone President Shoshi Arakawa Honored with Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
Tokyo (July 5, 2007) - Shoshi Arakawa, Chairman of the Board, CEO and President of Bridgestone Corporation, was awarded the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.
An awards ceremony was held at the offices of the Polish Foreign Ministry on July 2, with the award presented by Mr. Witold Waszczykowski, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Others to attend the ceremony included Mr. Pawel Wojciechowski, President of the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency (PAIiIZ) and Ryuichi Tanabe, the Japanese Ambassador to Poland.
The Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland is one of the most prestigious Polish orders that can be bestowed on a citizen for economic relations. “The Commander’s Cross you kindly awarded me today, as I understand, is the demonstration of your high evaluation of Bridgestone’s contribution to the economic development of Poland. I can also recognize how high your expectation on Bridgestone is for the future” commented Arakawa. “It makes me more deeply impressed to have this famous and prestigious Commander’s Cross in a special year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations between Poland and Japan.”
An awards ceremony was held at the offices of the Polish Foreign Ministry on July 2, with the award presented by Mr. Witold Waszczykowski, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Others to attend the ceremony included Mr. Pawel Wojciechowski, President of the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency (PAIiIZ) and Ryuichi Tanabe, the Japanese Ambassador to Poland.
The Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland is one of the most prestigious Polish orders that can be bestowed on a citizen for economic relations. “The Commander’s Cross you kindly awarded me today, as I understand, is the demonstration of your high evaluation of Bridgestone’s contribution to the economic development of Poland. I can also recognize how high your expectation on Bridgestone is for the future” commented Arakawa. “It makes me more deeply impressed to have this famous and prestigious Commander’s Cross in a special year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations between Poland and Japan.”
<History of major Bridgestone Group activities in Poland>
| 1994: | Establishes marketing company in Warsaw. |
| 1998: | Establishes sales company to deploy sales activities nationwide. |
| 2000: | Poznan Plant starts operations. ~ Supplies mainly high-performance radial tires for passenger cars and light trucks to Poland, nearby countries in Eastern Europe and the entire European region. (Poznan Plant is the subsidiary of Bridgestone Europe NV/SA) |
| 2004: | Begins production of runflat tires* at Poznan Plant. Wolsztyn Plant starts production of air springs. (Wolsztyn Plant is the subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc.) |
| 2006: | Zarrow Plant starts production of rubber tracks (Zarrow Plant is the subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation) |
| 2007: | Construction begins for a new factory in Stargard, Szczecinski. ~ Expected to start operations in 2009 and to supply radial tires for trucks and buses primarily to Poland, nearby countries in Eastern Europe and the entire European region. (Stargard Plant is the subsidiary of Bridgestone Europe NV/SA) |
※: *Runflat tires continue to function safely at a specified speed for a specified mileage after losing air pressure under normal conditions at 0kPa air pressure. Runflats have been developed for the purpose of ensuring safety in the event of a sudden loss of pressure as with a puncture. In addition, runflats eliminate the need for carrying a spare tire. This contributes to fuel economy through weight-savings, and it gives automakers greater latitude in designing vehicles. Eliminating the spare tire also reduces rubber consumption and rubber scrap. Bridgestone's runflat tires are installable on conventional wheels.
Bridgestone Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, is the world’s largest tire and rubber company. In addition to tires for use in wide variety of applications, it manufactures a broad range of diversified products, which include industrial rubber and chemical products and sporting goods. Its products are sold in over 150 nations and territories around the world.