Bridgestone Americas is expanding its Warren County, Tennessee, commercial truck and bus radial (TBR) tire factory as part of a three-year, US$40m investment. Construction is scheduled to begin at the end of this year.
“Bridgestone continues to optimize its production operations in order to respond to changing global market trends and increased demand,” said Greg Harris, executive director, commercial manufacturing, Bridgestone Americas.
“Warren County is one of the company’s most productive operations, and this investment will further improve the plant’s global competitive position by expanding production capacity for TBR tires.”
Approximately 32,000ft2 (9,753m2) of manufacturing space will be added to the building to accommodate new equipment that will increase plant capacity by 275 tires per day, bringing daily production to 9,400 tires per day by the end of 2020.
“The expansion of our manufacturing operations in Warren County is an important step in our efforts to meet the evolving needs of fleet customers,” said Eric Higgs, president, truck, bus and retread tires, USA and Canada, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations.
“In addition to increasing capacity, this investment will improve our capability to deliver next-generation products that help make mobility more efficient.”
In June 2017, the plant produced its 60 millionth tire. Expansions and upgrades contributed to additional increases in production to reach the 9,125 tires it currently produces daily.
“Our production and manufacturing capabilities continue to evolve with our products to meet the needs of our customers,” said Tamara Martensen, plant manager of the Warren County plant.
“Our investment in updated equipment and improved manufacturing processes reflects our focus on maintaining our global competitiveness, our confidence in what our team can deliver, as well as our commitment to the Warren County community.”
