South Australian-based tyre franchise Bridgestone has started construction of a brand new head office in Adelaide.

The 81-year old firm will be primary tenants of the new development which should be unveiled later this year.

Stephen Roche, Bridgestone Australia & New Zealand managing director, said the decision to remain in Adelaide is a commitment to supporting the state that shaped the company’s heritage.

“We’re delighted to commit to the next phase of Bridgestone Australia & New Zealand’s history in Adelaide, and continue our story in South Australia from a brand new corporate headquarters.

“South Australia has been the centre of Bridgestone’s operations in Australia since its beginning, and we’re thrilled to continue to give back to the state that shaped the company we are now.”

Bridgestone legacy

The start of construction of Bridgestone’s new office comes off the back of the company’s 80th anniversary in Australia, with its local lineage dating back to the formation of SA Rubber Mills in December 1939. The company evolved and expanded before becoming Uniroyal Tyres, then developing into Bridgestone Australia in 1981.

The tyre business recently extended its partnership with the South Australian Tourism Commission’s Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.

The event attracts global attention. It gives secondary and tertiary engineering and tech students the chance to race from Darwin to Adelaide in a solar-powered vehicle of their own design and build.

“It’s important to Bridgestone to be active in the markets and communities we operate in, and the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge is a perfect example of how as a global company we are investing in the future, not just locally, but on a global level,” Roche said.

“Our new Australian headquarters is just one element of our ongoing commitment to South Australia, but our continued support of the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge for the next decade highlights our focus on the future.”

Bridgestone’s investment in South Australian goes beyond tyres and business operations, supporting a range of community initiatives throughout the state. The company is also a long-term partner of the Leukaemia Foundation and naming rights partner of the charity’s patient support village in Adelaide.