NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations plans to expand its Warren County, Tenn., production plant as part of a three-year, $40 million project.
A business unit of Bridgestone Americas Inc., BATO will add another 32,000 square feet to the commercial truck and bus radial tire manufacturing facility. The company expects to break ground on the addition before the end of the year, a spokeswoman said.
Its latest addition will be earmarked for new equipment needed to increase the factory's manufacturing capacity by 275 tires per day, the firm said on Nov. 15 when it made the announcement.
That will boost daily production to about 9,400 tires from its current level of 9,125 tires per day by the end of 2020.
The firm anticipates adding about 30 jobs at the Warren County facility once the expansion is complete, the spokeswoman said.
Bridgestone is optimizing its production operations "in order to respond to changing global market trends and increased demand," according to Greg Harris, executive director of commercial manufacturing for Bridgestone Americas.
He said the Warren County plant, which is located in Morrison, Tenn., is one of the company's most productive operations. The company's $40 million investment, he added, "will further improve the plant's global competitive position by expanding production capacity" for truck and bus radial tires.
Bridgestone has expanded and upgraded the Warren County operation numerous times. The factory shipped its 1 millionth tire in 1993, only three years after it opened, the company said. That same year, the plant manufactured nearly 2,500 tires daily. It produced its 60 millionth tire in June 2017.
The latest expansion at the site "is an important step in our efforts to meet the evolving needs of fleet customers," said Eric Higgs, president of BATO's truck, bus and retread tires in the U.S. and Canada.
"In addition to increasing capacity, this investment will improve our capability to deliver next-generation products that help make mobility more efficient," he said.
Tamara Martensen, the Warren County plant manager, said the factory's manufacturing capabilities continue to evolve. "Our investment in updated equipment and improved manufacturing processes reflects our focus on manufacturing, our global competitiveness, our confidence in what our team can deliver, as well as our commitment to the Warren County community."
Bridgestone began constructing the plant, which is owned and operated by BATO, in 1989. The factory currently spans about 1.9 million square feet and sits on 906 acres of land. It employs 1,039.