The basis for the company’s business growth is the quality of the products that Bridgestone offers. As such, the company implements standard corporate practices that contemplate the requirements established to ensure a product’s quality control and assurance in order to guarantee the best customer service while complying with the laws of each country in which it operates.

The main quality criteria implemented for all Bridgestone products are as follows:

• Visual inspection of the tire.

• Evaluation of the uniformity of the tire.

• Product tests including yield and performance based on speed, loads, the resistance of the tire shell, misalignment of the sidewall, and dimensions.

• Quality of raw materials.

In order to ensure the quality of its products, Bridgestone Costa Rica has certified tire inspectors who must pass rigorous audits. The company also conducts a benchmark analysis on the Tire Uniformity Optimizers (TUO) and certified ISO/IEC 17025:2005 tests. It maintains its INTE ISO 9001 Product Brand Compliance certificate and implements quality controls throughout the entire production process, as well as process and product audits.

In 2017, the Bridgestone Costa Rica plant was the first company in the corporation to receive the AITF 16949:2016 standard certification. This quality management systems standard is specific for the automotive industry that aims to ensure continuous improvement by emphasizing the need to prevent errors, and reduce variances and waste in the automotive supply chain.