The expansion is expected to be complete in the first quarter of 2013 and is projected to create 50 new jobs.
The investment is part of a comprehensive expansion of the tire maker’s American manufacturing operations.
To meet the growing global demand for off-road radial tires, the company is also going to build a new off-road radial plant in Aiken County, S.C. It also announced a substantial increase in production capacity at its existing Aiken passenger car and light truck tire plant.
These projects, combined with the new investments in the Warren plant, amount to an investment of more than $1.2 billion. Some 900-plus new jobs are expected to result within the next nine years.
In addition, Bridgestone’s Metalpha plant in Clarksville, Tenn. will begin producing the off-road radial steel cord needed for the tires to be made at the new Aiken facility. The associated $75 million investment will expand the factory’s size by 123,077 square feet and create an additional 45 jobs.
“With increasing demand in the market, it was time for us to increase capacity to meet the needs of customers seeking world-class Bridgestone and Firestone truck and bus tires,” says Kurt Danielson, a divisional president.
“The outstanding people and facilities at our Warren County plant, as well as the long-standing partnership we have with the Warren County community and the state of Tennessee, made it the perfect location to make this investment and expand our production,” he notes.
“I want to thank Bridgestone Americas for their continued reinvestment in Warren County and Tennessee,” says Gov. Bill Haslam. “Our Jobs4TN strategy focuses on expanding existing businesses in-state, and Bridgestone Americas is providing jobs while also demonstrating a commitment to improving the quality of the community itself,” he adds.
Site preparation and construction in Warren will begin in the second quarter of 2012. Construction is expected to be complete by the third quarter, and the manufacturing equipment will begin to be installed in the latter portion of the year.
The additional production is expected to begin in early 2013, reaching full production in the fourth quarter.
“This major expansion in Warren County and the creation of new high-quality jobs underscores the success we are enjoying with the governor’s emphasis on growing existing Tennessee businesses. I congratulate Bridgestone on expanding its footprint as a flagship Tennessee company,” says Bill Hagerty, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. “I have enjoyed the close working relationship with Bridgestone CEO and President Gary Garfield and the entire Bridgestone team and look forward to celebrating many more successes in the future.”
The Warren facility, which began operations in 1990, earned LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council in 2008, becoming the first tire plant in the world to do so. LEED is awarded internationally to buildings for excellent energy and water efficiency, indoor environmental quality and resource stewardship. It is rarely achieved by existing manufacturing sites.
The Warren and Aiken locations are the first two – and so far only – LEED-certified tire plants in the world.
For more information, visit www.bridgestone- firestone.com.
