Bridgestone Reveals Plans to Invest in Expansion of US Plant

Renowned tire manufacturer, Bridgestone has revealed plans to invest more than USD 100 million in the expansion of its US plant. Carried out in two phases, this expansion of the company’s passenger car tire plant in Wilson, North Carolina is expected to boost the tire maker’s daily capacity by 9 per cent. The latest expansion of the plant took place in 1999, when Bridgestone increased the production area at the factory by 85,000 square feet.

The expansion of the plant will help Bridgestone to cater to the growing global demand for tires having higher rim size. Beginning in early 2016, the expansion will be completed over a period of five years.

The company will invest USD 164 million on not only adding a greater production area of approximately 15,500 square meters but will also invest in state of the art machines and equipment like tire assembly machines, curing presses and materials handling systems . The new machinery used at the plant will be employed to make tires with larger rim sizes and optimize costs while ramping up productivity and the quality of the tires produced.

As an outcome of the expansion, the plant will be capable of manufacturing 3,000 more tires every day and the company’s total daily production is expected to increase to 35,000 units by 2018.

“Our production and manufacturing capabilities must evolve with our products to meet the changing needs of today’s consumers,” said Wilson plant manager Michael Darr. “Our investment in updated equipment and improved manufacturing processes and facilities reflects our focus on maintaining our global competitiveness, as well as our commitment to the Wilson community.”