NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Bridgestone Americas recently announced the grand opening of its Biorubber Process Research Center in Mesa, Arizona.

The centre was opened to bring Bridgestone closer to its goal of developing a new, domestically-viable source for natural rubber. The company says that there will be preliminary rubber samples produced at the centre within the next month.

“The opening of the Bridgestone Biorubber Process Research Center is a significant milestone in Bridgestone’s journey to develop a new and domestic source of natural rubber,” said Bill Niaura, director of new business development, Bridgestone Americas, Inc. “Through this innovation project and others like it, Bridgestone is positioning itself to meet the constant, anticipated growth in demand for natural rubber, while also moving closer to achieving its long-term vision of manufacturing products from raw materials that are fully renewable and sustainable by 2050.”

The 8,300 square-foot centre is home to more than 30 researchers and technicians, and Bridgestone will be supplying the space with biomass rubber grown on its 281-acre Agro Operations Research Farm in Eloy, Ariz. The rubber produced at the new centre will be sent to Akron, Ohio and Tokyo, Japan where engineers will work to optimize rubber performance for their product line.