A location has been found for the U.S.-based guayule research farm and process research center that Bridgestone Corp. intends to set up.
A 281-acre site in Eloy, Ariz., has been acquired for guayule farming activities, and Bridgestone will establish a process research center in nearby Mesa, Ariz., together with Bridgestone Americas.
“This was an important step in the realization of our guayule research activities, and we are excited to have found a base of operations for our researchers,” commented Bill Niaura, director of new business development for Bridgestone Americas. “Every step we take brings us closer to our ultimate goal of developing new, domestic and sustainable sources for natural rubber; we look forward to breaking ground and getting started soon.”
The research farm will include a multi-purpose office/laboratory building, greenhouses and a farming operation for optimizing guayule as a commercial crop that produces tire-grade rubber. Bridgestone says groundbreaking will occur in the third quarter of 2012 and the facilities built at the site will complement the existing agricultural landscape.
The process research center to be built in Mesa will be home to a staff of 32 researchers and technicians and to the process that converts the guayule shrub into tire-grade rubber. Groundbreaking for the research center is planned to take place in early 2013. The facility is expected to be fully operational in 2014, with trial rubber production starting in 2015.
Bridgestone Corp. is providing the funding and strategic input for the project, while Bridgestone Americas is responsible for selecting the site and operating the pilot farm and process research facility. The North American subsidiary also will leverage the resources of the Bridgestone Americas Center for Research and Technology and its Akron Technical Center to provide technical and research expertise. (Tyres & Accessories)
