Bridgestone to make ‘major’ announcement at South Carolina plant

Amid various rumors that it was going to build another tyre plant there, Tire Review revealed that Bridgestone Americas planned to make a “major economic development” announcement at its plant in Graniteville, South Carolina today. It reported that both Gary Garfield, Bridgestone Americas’ president and CEO, and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley were to be on hand for the announcement.

According to The State, “Ike McLeese, president and CEO of the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, said he has heard the job announcement will be ‘bigger than Boeing,’” which vowed to bring 3,800 new jobs to the state when it announced plans to build its 787 Dreamliner plant in North Charleston two years ago.

Bridgestone has 932 employees at the Aiken County plant, which produces passenger and light truck/SUV tyres, primarily for OE customers. That plant opened in 1999.
 
This past July, Bridgestone announced plans to invest $135 million to expand the plant by another 266,000 square feet and add 122 full-time and contractor jobs. That expansion is expected to be operating in 2013.

Over the last few months South Carolina, North Carolina and Louisiana have all been awash in rumours of a “Project Soccer,” an unidentified project believed to be a large tyre plant that would employ some 1,500 people. Last June, Continental Tire the Americas announced plans to build a new tire plant in the southeast, and those three states are believed to be the finalists in the site search. The location for the new CTA plant is expected to be announced next month.

Still, Bridgestone has enjoyed a strong relationship with South Carolina, its politicians and its economic development leadership. Some industry watchers suggest that they would not be surprised if Bridgestone was interested in adding another North American tyre plant.