Tyre firm gets clearance to build

Bartow County, Georgia, has granted a Japanese tyre maker the industrial zoning it needs to build a 125 million dollar tyre plant in a rural area. The decision went against strong opposition and opponents vowed to continue to fight the development. Bartow County has lost more than 2,000 manufacturing jobs in about three years and the new plant expects to bring 350 jobs, at an average wage of 12 dollars an hour.

State and local recruiters will not name the tyre maker, but opponents believe it is Toyo Tire, whose U.S. operations are headquartered in Cypress, California.