Bridgestone planning 'major' investment in S.C.

ERJ staff report (TB)

Graniteville, South Carolina -- Bridgestone Americas will announce a “major economic investment” in South Carolina later today, Sept. 21, at its Aiken County tyre plant in Graniteville.

Bridgestone announced a $135 million investment in the Aiken car and light truck tyre plant just two months ago to expand capacity there by up to 4,750 units per day before mid-2013.

Bridgestone has scheduled a news conference at the plant for 2:30 p.m. local time, with South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley scheduled to attend along with Bridgestone Americas President and CEO Gary Garfield and Eduardo Minardi, chairman, CEO and president of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations.

The expansion announced July 20 represents a 19-percent boost in the plant's daily capacity to about 29,750 unites per day beginning in the second quarter of 2013 and will add 122 full-time and contractor positions. Bridgestone Americas said it will expand the facility by 266,000 square feet in the main plant and mixing areas.

Site preparation and construction for that project are expected to begin in the fourth quarter with the manufacturing equipment to be installed in the third quarter of 2012. Construction is expected to be complete by the first quarter of 2013 with production commencing early in the second quarter of the same year, the Nashville-based tyre maker said at that time.

Bridgestone opened the non-union Aiken plant in 1999.

From Tire Business (A Crain publication)