It is the largest single capital investment ever by Bridgestone Corp. and part of the single largest capital project ever undertaken in the state of South Carolina. And yesterday, just over three years after Bridgestone Americas announced the project, the tiremaker took the wraps off of its shiny, new 1.5-million-square-foot giant radial OTR tire plant in Aiken, S.C.
The $800 million facility will produce 49-inch to 63-inch wheel diameter radial tires used for mining, quarry and construction equipment. Bridgestone officials hinted that depending on market needs it could add production of 73-inch tires.
Once the plant is entirely completed in 2019, it will employ 550 people.
The morning event opened loudly, with a special traditional Japanese ceremonial presentation by the Matsuriza Taiko drummers, regular performers at Disney World in Orlando.
The OTR plant is part of a $1.2 billion project Bridgestone Americas announced in September 2011, which included a significant expansion of its existing passenger and light truck/SUV tire plant on an adjacent 590-acre parcel. That highly automated plant first opened in 1998 and primarily serves the company’s OE customers.
On hand for the formal ribbon-cutting was Kazuhisa Nishigai, COO and board member of Bridgestone Corp.; Gary Garfield, president and CEO of Bridgestone Americas; Tomohiro Fukuda, vice president and chief quality control officer for Bridgestone’s specialty tire unit; Steve Shelton, Bridgestone Americas’ senior vice president of technology, manufacturing and procurement; Aiken County Council chairman Ronnie Young; and Aiken, Edgefield and Saluda Counties Economic Development Partnership president and CEO Will Williams.
South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, currently in India on business, was present via a pre-recorded video acknowledging the event and the tiremaker’s continuing investment in the state. “South Carolina and Bridgestone have a long and successful history of working together, and we are excited to celebrate this next chapter in our growing partnership,” said Haley. “Bridgestone is a great South Carolina company, employing thousands of our citizens and playing an active and positive role in their local community. We look forward to seeing the new OTR plant reach full production and bring even more jobs to Aiken County.”
“Bridgestone has made significant investments in technology and training to ensure we are producing the world’s leading off road radial tires in North America,” said Nishigai. “We remain highly committed to our mining customers around the globe and will continue to make the right investments for this important segment of our business.”
Ron Brooks, plant manager for the new facility, served as emcee of the ribbon-cutting event. Brooks has led previous new plant projects for Bridgestone Americas, and was instrumental in managing the construction process.
All of the mixing, cutting, tire building, curing and final inspection equipment in the building was produced by Bridgestone Corp. The basic floor plan of the plant mimics that of Bridgestone’s other giant radial OTR tire plant in Kitakyushu, Japan.
The tiremaker won’t discuss actual production capacity; the plant currently has eight curing positions that can handle up to five tires at a time, though not all are currently on-stream. Further development of the plant will add an unknown number of additional curing pots.
Products from the plant will primarily serve customers in North and South America; some further export is likely, but potential destinations were not revealed.
The plant began test and certification production this past spring, and formal live production began in October. Sitting on a 550-acre site, company officials said, means the plant has room to grow in the future as market demands dictate.
