Michelin North America announced a $200 million expansion of its Lexington, S.C., passenger and light truck/SUV tire plant.
MNA said expansion work will begin immediately and all of the planned new equipment should be installed by mid-2013. An estimated 270 new jobs will be added with the expansion.
“The Michelin brand was quite resilient during the recent economic crisis,” said Dick Wilkerson, MNA chairman and president. “As the economy turned, demand for our tires increased dramatically. We must have additional capacity for high performance passenger car tires to meet our customers’ needs.
“We’re thrilled that the expansion will be in our home state of South Carolina. The Lexington County Council and the state of South Carolina have been effective partners with us, working to make this expansion and the new jobs that support it a reality,” he said.
The Lexington plant, with 1.2 million square feet under roof, first opened in 1981 and currently employs 1,360 people. MNA also operates an OTR tire plant in an adjacent 825,000-square-foot plant.