Kumho Plant Gets Additional Grant

The Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority recently learned about some unexpected grant money for the Kumho Tire manufacturing plant, which broke ground earlier this year in the Sofkee Industrial Park in south Bibb County. The Economic Development Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce called the Middle Georgia Regional Development Center last week, saying if an application could be submitted within about 24 hours, an additional $217,161 could be available for the project. The application was filed and the award package is expected by the end of September. This grant will add to the $500,000 grant already received by Bibb County from the Employment Incentive Program of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs that goes toward the Kumho project.

The 1.3 million-square-foot Kumho plant, which is expected to employ up to 450 workers, is scheduled to be completed by November 2009 with production to begin the next month. The facility expects to have initial capacity of 2.1 million tyres a year for original and replacement equipment markets in the U.S. (Tire Review/Akron)