Bridgestone Americas Inc., a subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, has announced that it is investing $1.2 billion to build a new production plant, expand existing passenger and light truck tire plant in Aiken County, South Carolina in the US.
Bridgestone will construct a new 1.5 million square feet off-road radial tire (ORR) manufacturing facility on a greenfield site in the Sage Mill Industrial Park in Aiken County. The new ORR plant is part of the company’s sourcing strategy and will strengthen the ability of the global Bridgestone Group to strengthen its position in the market segment.
The company has announced an additional expansion of 474,000 square feet to its PSR/LTR tire plant in Aiken County. Earlier, the company announced a 266,000 square feet expansion of the plant in July 2011. The expansion is intended to meet growing demand in key market segments, including ultra-high performance and light truck/SUV tires. The investment will create more than 850 new jobs.
The South Carolina Department of Commerce granted a $15.5 million funding to the company for infrastructure and site preparation, including about $6 million that was provided to improve public roads adjacent to the facility. The plant will be built with a focus on the environment and plans to achieve LEED Construction Certification by incorporating state-of-the-art technology in its facility and equipment design.