Bridgestone sells Thai carbon black plant to Tokai Carbon

Bridgestone Corporation announced today that it has entered into an agreement to sell Bridgestone Carbon Black (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (BSCB), a carbon black factory located in Rayong, Thailand, to Tokai Carbon Co., Ltd. and Thai Tokai Carbon Product Co. Ltd. BSCB was established in 2001 and has approximately 140 employees. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

Bridgestone is one the few tire companies back-integrated into carbon black manufacture; the company also operates carbon black plants in Mexico (Mexico Carbon Manufacturing S.A. DE C.V.) and Japan (Asahi Carbon Co. Ltd.). In the press release announcing the sale, Bridgestone said it is rebuilding its in-house carbon black business with a focus on collaboration with partners including Tokai Carbon.

Bridgestone will continue to develop and produce strategic carbon black in-house in areas that are directly linked to its core competence – material technologies, or “mastering rubber” – and where proprietary knowledge and technologies are essential. These areas include premium tires, motorsports tires, and sustainability. These operations will be carried out through Asahi Carbon Co., Ltd., Bridgestone’s group company in Japan. By maintaining in-house development and production of strategic carbon black, Bridgestone will ensure alignment with its business and product strategies and strengthen its “Dan-Totsu” products throughout the value chain.

Tokai Carbon, based in Tokyo, is the world's fifth largest carbon black company, with carbon black factories in Canada, the United States, Japan, and Thailand. Thai Tokai Carbon Product, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tokai, operates an existing carbon black plant in Thailand. Following the acquisition, Tokai Carbon will own 1% and Thai Tokai Carbon Product will own 99% of the shares, and BSCB will become a consolidated subsidiary. Tokai said in a press release that the acquisition will promote greater global collaboration and co-creation with Bridgestone, further strengthening the partnership between the two companies. In January 2025, Tokai and Bridgestone announced a new technology development project dedicated to produce eco Carbon Black (eCB) from end-of-life tires and other sources.

The only other producer of carbon black in Thailand is Birla Carbon, which operates an existing plant in Angthong, Thailand and is building a new 120 KTPY plant in Rayong, Thailand scheduled for completion in 2026.