Bridgestone Corp. on Monday announced plans to consolidate its 18 wholly owned tire retail subsidiaries in Japan into two, a move aimed at cutting administrative costs and speeding up decision-making.
As a first step, the 18 regional units will merge into five by July. The switch to the two-company structure is slated for January 2012.
"The measure is not meant to restructure or scale back operations, but rather to improve efficiency amid the harsh business environment," President Shoshi Arakawa said in a news conference.
To strengthen marketing, about 290 employees will be transferred mainly to front-line sales posts. (Asia Pulse/Tire Review)
