Firestone Industrial Products creating tech centre

ERJ staff report (R&PN)

Indianapolis, Indiana -- Firestone Industrial Products Co. LLC has begun renovations at a new 67,200-square-foot facility in Fishers, Indiana, which will serve as the firm's North American technical centre.

The company said it will occupy about 40,000 square feet of space at the centre, where it will develop rubber compounds, build prototype parts and run testing for characterisation, strength, environmental sustainability and durability.

A chemical test lab also will be built at the site to perform physical properties tests of both compounds and components. Firestone Industrial Products extensively tests and develops air spring products to meet a variety of challenging environments, including applications for the heavy-duty commercial vehicle industry, the company said.

The company was looking for a location between its former Noblesville, Indiana, plant and its Carmel, Indiana, headquarters, to minimise drive time for its engineers who travel between both locations, said Clair McCloy, the company's chief operating officer. “The building we've selected in Fishers gives us that middle ground, and we're happy the testing center will stay within Hamilton County,” he said.

Firestone Industrial Products will combine its light-duty test lab and equipment, currently located at in Carmel, with its heavy-duty test lab and equipment, which now is in Noblesville, Indiana, to create the new lab in Fishers.

The company didn't release the cost of the project.

From Rubber & Plastics News (A Crain publication)