13 May 2008
ERJ staff report (RD)
Macon, Georgia - Despite heavy damage from severe storms in early May, Kumho Tire Co. Ltd. today broke ground on their new tyre plant in Bibb County, Georgia. The $165 million, 5.7-million-sq.-ft. plant is scheduled to start production by the end of 2009.
The plant will have an initial annual capacity of 2.1 million passenger tyres with more than 200 employees, Kumho said. A second-phase expansion earmarked for completion by 2011, would boost capacity to 3.15 million tyres and create 200 more jobs, costing an extra $60 million (Euro 38 789 million), the company has said previously.
Kumho Tire president and ceo, Sae-Chu Oh said establishing a production facility in the worlds largest tyre market will help Kumho respond faster to the needs of customers in the region, while reinforcing its cost and price competitiveness.
Kumho now has nine tyre plants worldwide with plans to build a fourth Chinese plant in Nanjing to produce truck bus radial tyres. By the end of 2008 Kumho's production capacity outside of South Korea will reach 33 million tyres, exceeding domestic production levels by 32 million tyres.
From RPN (A Crain publication)
Subscribe for unlimited access. A subscription to European Rubber Journal includes:
Already a subscriber? Log in here
