Yokohama Begins $13 Million Virginia Plant Expansion

Yokohama Tire Corp. is investing $13 million in expanding operations at its Salem, Virginia manufacturing plant, reports Tire Review. The project will include new tiremaking machinery, upgrading and modifying existing machines and an increase in high-performance and light truck tyre manufacturing flexibility. The expansion, which will result in a 10-12 per cent increase in production capacity, is slated for completion by August 2011, the company said.

“We have seen very strong demand and our increase is well above the industry average,” said Dan King, Yokohama vice president, sales and marketing. “We have gained more allocation from our offshore plants, but it is not enough. That’s why the expansion at Salem will help fill the pipeline with our popular consumer tyres such as the Avid ENVigor and S.drive, as well as light truck tyres from our Geolandar line.”

The expansion will add roughly 55 jobs at the plant, which produces tires for the replacement market, the company said.