Dayton under threat again

The future of Oklahoma City’s Dayton Tire plant is threatened by a dispute between two power supply companies. Oklahoma Gas and Electric and Smith Cogeneration have a 15-year contract that expires in 2004.

For the last 14 years, OG&E has purchased electric power from Smith Cogeneration’s PowerSmith Cogeneration facility located next to Dayton Tire, a division of Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire.

While producing electricity, the PowerSmith facility also provides steam, which is used by the tyre plant in production of its tyres and was created specifically to provide the tyre plant with steam. Saving the tyre facility 7.5 million dollars per annum.

Today, the Dayton Tire plant has about 2,000 employees and the plant is estimated to have an economic impact of 800 million dollars a year in the state. OG&E now no longer need to buy power from PowerSmith. As a consequence the Dayton Tire plant is threatened with closure.