Bridgestone Breaks Ground on Tire Plant Expansion

Bridgestone is expanding its Warren County, Tennessee Truck and Bus Radial (TBR) tire plant located in Morrison with an official groundbreaking ceremony. The $550 million investment will add 380 new jobs and expand the plant’s existing footprint by 850,000 square feet. As part of the expansion, Warren County will be one of the first plants globally to add the capability to produce the company’s Enliten technology stack, which the company says is optimized for rolling resistance and wear.

From this investment, Bridgestone will allow for all tires made in Warren to be equipped with RFID (radio frequency identification) tags that enable efficient asset management and optimization of fleets’ investments in tires, including retreading.

Bridgestone said the plant expansion will incorporate technology for digital readiness in tires, including the integration of tire-mounted sensors that support advanced, data-driven insights for fleet management. Bridgestone said through the expansion, it will also invest in AI control technology that increases productivity and the application of knowledge and data in a digital manufacturing environment.

The expansion of the 33-year-old facility is underway, with construction expected to be substantially completed by the end of 2026. Employment will grow from 1,100 to more than 1,400 teammates and the plant’s footprint will grow from 1.97 million to more than 2.8 million square feet.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has named Ryan Waldron as president of the company's Americas business unit, reporting to Chief Executive Officer and President Mark Stewart. He succeeds Steven R. McClellan, who retired on April 1.

"At Goodyear, our customers are at the center of everything we do, and in Ryan Waldron, we have a customer-centric, execution-focused business leader with a deep understanding of both the marketplace and all aspects of our business, as well as a proven track record of delivering results," Stewart said. "I am thrilled to announce him as president of Goodyear's Americas business and have enormous confidence that under his leadership, both the company and our customers will reach even greater levels of success."