Giti Tire Group will break ground on its Chester County, S.C., plant on February 12.

At full capacity, the new plant will produce both replacement and OE tires, and will employ some 1,700 people. The 1.8-million-square-foot plant located off I-77 will include a distribution center.

Giti announced it would be building its first North American plant in June 2014.

An internal and external team for Giti spent 5 years analyzing dozen of factors and looking at 12 different sites in six states before it arrived at Chester County.

“Chester County is an excellent location for Giti Tire, offering an extensive and efficient infrastructure network including interstate highways, rail, close proximity to airports and a major metropolitan area to support the company’s needs and growth for many years to come,” said Lei Huai Chin, managing director of Giti Tire Group.

Chester County is near Charlotte, N.C., and has a population of some 35,560 people over its 586 square miles of land.