Cooper breaks ground on Tupelo expansion

ERJ staff report (TB)

Findlay, Ohio - Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. broke ground today on a $7 million expansion project at its Tupelo, Mississippi, tyre factory.

Cooper's plant there covers more than 1.6 million sq.-ft (14.8 ha) and employs more than 1 250 workers. Dyersburg, Tennessee-based RFW Construction will design and build the 32 000-sq.-ft (3000 m²⁾. addition.

The ceremony drew officials from the Mississippi state legislature, Mississippi Development Authority, the Lee County Board of Supervisors, Tupelo's mayor and city council, officials from the Community Development Foundation and Cooper Tire's executive management.

“This expansion will enable Cooper to produce more technologically advanced products and will enable the company to improve the competitiveness of its operations,” said Pat Jodon, Tupelo's plant manager. “The Tupelo facility's expansion will also allow us to better serve our customers and improve our competitive advantage in the North American market.”

The addition is the result of an incentive/retention agreement that was reached with the city and the state earlier this year, Cooper said. The project is expected to be completed by April 2010 and calls for a new mixing building that will be added to the southwest corner of the plant.

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Cooper breaks ground on Tupelo expansion from Tire Business (a Crain publication)