ATC Plans to Start – Or Not Start – Operating in August

American Tire Corp., a company reporting to have “established dozens of operations in different states and countries,” claims now that it is gearing up to begin production in its Washington state plant in the U.S., a facility it claims will be developed into the “largest giant OTR tyre manufacturing base in the world.”

In a July 28 statement, the company said it would begin operations in Washington in August 2008 – maybe.

Quoting the statement precisely, “ATC is pleased to announce that its Washington operations will start in August 2008,” read the press statement. “ATC’s staff recruiting is undergoing in Washington. A 500,000 square feet facility for the first phase is almost done. Manufacturing equipments (sic) will be moved to its new facilities step by step. Production will begin as soon as everything is ready but not in August.”

The company has never revealed where in Washington this plant is located, nor has it made clear how long the claimed 500,000-square-foot “facility” will operate before it produces its first tyre.

ATC states that the Washington facility – whether it begins operating in August or not – will primarily produce its Colorado brand 57- and 63-inch tyres.

In addition, ATC claims it is planning to purchase a larger 1,000-acre site later this year, for the purpose of further expanding its Washington operations. The exact location of this land or what role a facility there would fulfill was not disclosed. (Tyres & Accessories/Staffordshire, U.K.)