USA: Groundbreaking held for Bandag Abilene plant expansion

On 16 May, Bridgestone Americas held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of work to expand its Bridgestone Bandag, LLC manufacturing plant in Abilene, Texas. The US$60 million project will increase the facility’s floorspace by 50,000 square feet and meet growing demand for the company’s tread rubber products, with operations at the expanded plant scheduled to fun on six and seven-day production schedules.

Bridgestone expects the mixing operations to be completed and in operation by January 2025. The investment in the facility and the additional operation days will increase the plant’s output by 16 per cent.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Abilene plant manager Billy Fralick spoke of a “significant day” for the facility’s workforce and for Bridgestone Americas. “We’d like to thank the Abilene community for its support over the last 52 years. We’re excited to begin this next chapter in our plant’s history.”

Fralick was joined at the event by several Bridgestone leaders, including Chris Daniel, executive director, Bandag Manufacturing, and Jason Roanhouse, vice-president, Bandag North America Operations. “Today we celebrate the growth and commitment of this plant and this community, with new investment and a physical expansion driven by growing demand for our products and, just as fundamentally, by this team’s commitment to delivering innovation and superior quality for our customers here and around the world,” said Chris Daniel. “Our company and our Abilene team have a vital role to play in the transformation of mobility brought forth by a desire of building greener retreads, while helping maximise fuel efficiency for fleets.”