Bridgestone budgets $20M for Illinois OTR expansion

ERJ staff report (TB)

Normal, Illinois -- Bridgestone Americas is budgeting $20 million for capital improvements to its OTR tyre plant in Bloomington, Ill., primarily to add capacity for 25-inch radial tyres, but the plan depends in part on a local enterprise zone being extended to include the plant.

The investment would expand capacity for that type tyre by a third to 120 a day, according to information from Plant Manager Marty Greutman, and would create up to 38 new jobs at the 46-year-old plant, which primarily makes bias-ply OTR tyres.

Having the plant in the Bloomington, Normal and McLean County enterprise zone will lead to state tax breaks, a Bridgestone spokesman said, specifically allowing the company to purchase building materials using the “state sales tax exemption native to the enterprise zone.”

Bridgestone said it expects the process of obtaining enterprise zone designation - which involves action by the Bloomington and Normal city councils and the McLean County Board - to take at least 60 days.

News of the possible expansion comes just weeks after Bridgestone disclosed plans to invest $1.2 billion in South Carolina to build a radial OTR plant.

From Tire Business (A Crain publication)