HEBRON, Ohio—Goodyear has selected a site in Hebron, near Columbus, for a research and development center dedicated to tire manufacturing technology that's not due to open until the second half of 2015.
Word of the new facility came to light last week after a Hebron council meeting, where representatives of real estate developer Southgate Corp. and GROW Licking County disclosed Goodyear will be Southgate's tenant in the 50,000-sq.-ft. structure on Hebron's near north side.
The building, under construction since June 2012, can be expanded up to 150,000 square feet, the developer said. Goodyear and Southgate signed their lease agreement in June 2013.
When fully occupied, the center will house 30 technicians, who will focus on developing improved manufacturing technologies. This type of work is carried out now by personnel at Goodyear's technical centers in Akron, Luxembourg and Germany, a Goodyear spokesman said.
Goodyear will relocate some existing technicians to the facility as well as hire new employees, who will have to have at least an associate degree.
Goodyear may be able to tap into local talent. Both the Career and Technology Education Centers of Licking County and Central Ohio Technical College have two-year technical mechanical engineering degrees available.
Goodyear did not disclose its expected investment in the project.
Goodyear already has started to advertise for jobs at the facility.