Bridgestone makes second investment announcement in US

ERJ staff report (TB)

Nashville, Tennessee -- Bridgestone Americas will invest $36.6 million through early 2013 in its Warren County, Tenn., truck tyre plant to expand daily capacity 11 percent to 9,000 units.

The project, expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2013, will create 50 jobs, Bridgestone said. Groundbreaking on the expansion will start in the second quarter next year with equipment installation to begin before year-end 2012.

Bridgestone did not say by how much it will expand the size of the 21-year-old Warren plant.

“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 tyres,” said Kurt Danielson, president, Bridgestone Americas Commercial Solutions group.

This expansion “underscores the success we are enjoying with the governor's emphasis on growing existing Tennessee businesses,” said Bill Hagerty, commissioner, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam said the announcement reflects well on the state's Jobs4TN strategy.

This latest expansion is in addition to a $75 million investment in expanding steel-cord capacity at a plant in Jackson, Tenn., and about $1.2 billion the company is spending on a new radial OTR tire plant in Aiken County, S.C., and a 50-percent expansion of car and light tire capacity at a consumer tyre plant in Aiken.

From Tire Business (A Crain publication)

Press release from Bridgestone