An official ground-breaking ceremony has been held at Bridgestone Bandag’s manufacturing plant in Abilene, Texas, marking the start of work on a 50,000ft2 expansion costing U$60m. The investment was made by the tire maker to support a growth in demand for the company’s tread rubber products.
Through the expansion the site will grow from 200,000ft2 to 250,000ft2 and will see operations at the site running on six and seven-day production schedules. New mixing operations will be built and are estimated to be in full operation by January 2025. The expansion will see the plant’s output increase by 16% and will also provide capacity required for future expansion projects.
“Today is a significant day for all of us at the Abilene Bandag plant and across Bridgestone Americas, as we break ground on this important expansion that will allow us to grow our production capabilities to meet the needs of our customers,” said Billy Fralick, plant manager, Abilene Plant. “We’d like to thank the Abilene community for its support over the last 52 years. We’re excited to begin this next chapter in our plant’s history.”
“Today we celebrate the growth and commitment of this plant and this community, with new investment and a physical expansion driven by growing demand for our products and, just as fundamentally, by this team’s commitment to delivering innovation and superior quality for our customers here and around the world,” said Chris Daniel, executive director, Bandag Manufacturing, Bridgestone Americas. “Our company and our Abilene team have a vital role to play in the transformation of mobility brought forth by a desire of building greener retreads, while helping maximize fuel efficiency for fleets.”
