A story in yesterday’s issue of the Greenville (S.C.) News may hold a clue as to where Continental Tire the Americas plans to build its new U.S. tire plant.
According to the report, "A North Carolina official said the development, known as Project Soccer, could be announced this year and involve a tire manufacturing and distribution company the official wouldn’t identify."
The story said that South Carolina, North Carolina and Louisiana are all in the running for “a project” that “could bring as many as 1,500 jobs” to the winning state. No state officials would comment on the story, and a Continental spokesperson would only confirm that the tiremaker plans to build a Greenfield plant in the U.S.
Continental announced in June its plans to build a new U.S. plant, most likely in the southeast U.S. The company is headquartered in Fort Mill, S.C., near the state border with North Carolina.
At the time of the original announcement, CTA said it was considering locations in Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. A final decision is not expected until October.