Topeka Plant Needs $38 million State Aid: Goodyear

Goodyear has told Kansas state that it needs $38 million state aid if 700 jobs are to be saved at its Topeka plant. The manufacturer says that it needs to spend $250 million to upgrade its machinery in order to build large OTR tyres. The proposal will come before the Senate after the company’s presentation on Monday to a House committee. Goodyear hopes to be added to a bill including incentives for wind and solar equipment manufacturers relocating in the state.

Goodyear has reason to be optimistic about the success of its bid: the company is Topeka’s largest employer and in 2002 it received $10 million in incentives to keep the company operating in its current location and on the condition that it would spend a further $50 million there – the company would go on to invest $124 million there.