Goodyear restarts damaged N.C. factory; Toyo, Pirelli escape storms

By Mike McNulty, Crain News Service

Akron, Ohio -- Goodyear's Fayetteville, North Carolina, tyre plant is up and operating after it was damaged in a severe storm that swept across parts of the Southeastern US in mid-April, while plants operated in Georgia by Pirelli Tire North America Inc. and Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas Inc. escaped unscathed from storms that ripped that area April 29.

Goodyear's passenger and light truck tyre plant was hit April 16 at about 4 p.m. as the storm ripped through Fayetteville, causing serious exterior and interior damage to the factory, a company spokeswoman said.

“There was widespread damage to the factory and plant site,” she said, noting that walls were blown down at the northwest corner of the building and at the south end of the plant's mixing department.

In addition, she said, the roof was torn up by the storm which led to water problems in the factory and the office areas of the building.

“Fortunately, no one was seriously injured, which was our primary concern,” the spokeswoman said. Only one worker sustained an injury, and it was minor, she added.

Because of the wreckage at the factory, it was shut down for a brief period to give the company time to determine what repairs were needed and when they could be made.

“Very limited production resumed Sunday evening, April 17,” according to the spokeswoman.

The limited schedule at Fayetteville lasted for two days, and the facility resumed full production April 19, she said.

The plant is fully operational, with all shifts in place, while repairs are being made. Cost of the repairs was not disclosed.

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for Toyo Tire, which has a factory in White, Georgia, told Tire Business she received confirmation from Toyo Tire North America Manufacturing that “the storms had no impact on our plant; they actually went around it.”

Pirelli Tire, which operates a plant in Rome, Georgia, also escaped damage from the devastating storms that hit the nation's Southeast region. A spokesman for the tyre maker, which has its headquarters in Rome, said everything was OK at the facility-“no damage to factory and all employees accounted for,” though there were “lots of trees down, damage to homes and local power outages in the surrounding area.”

From Tire Business (A Crain publication)