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1955 Press Photo Firestone Tire & Rubber Company Makes Large Expansions

This is an original press photo. Most significant development in the rubber industry during 1955 was the launching of a tremendous expansion program for production of synthetic rubber. With natural rubber selling at prices close to 50 cents a pound, the rubber industry is doing all it can to hold down the costs of rubber products by using greater proportions of 23-cent-per-pound synthetic rubber. The installation pictured above at Lake Charles, Louisiana, is typical of the great strides being made by Firestone which soon will be producing rubber here at the rate of 150,000 tons annually, 50 per cent greater than when the plant was purchased from the Government last April. Firestone also is increasing the capacity of its synthetic rubber plant in Akron, Ohio, by 30 per cent and recently announced it is going to build a 40,000-ton-capacity butadiene plant for production of part of its requirements for this basic synthetic rubber ingredient. During 1955 The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company became the largest producer of rubber in the world with the purchase and expansion of two synthetic rubber producing plants and with the increase of natural rubber output on its plantations in Liberia, West Africa. Photo measures 8 x 10.25inches. Photo is dated 12-22-1955.

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Historic Images Part Number: mjb03189