MACON, Ga.—Kumho Tire USA Inc. is reopening its tire plant in Georgia, at least temporarily.
The facility in Macon resumed production May 5, and is scheduled to keep running "with enhanced safety precautions" until May 15, the company said.
"We will continue to monitor the situation closely, check the production status of our OE partners, and determine whether to keep it open through the end of the month," the company said in a statement.
Kumho halted production at the plant April 1 to help curb the spread of COVID-19. The closure later was extended. When choosing to halt production, the tire maker said it would rely on production from locations in South Korea and Vietnam to help maintain inventory.
First opened in 2016, Kumho intended for the Macon plant to serve auto makers with North American operations. At the time, the tire maker said that 80 percent of its business was expected to come from global auto makers operating in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Construction on the $450 million facility began in 2008, but that work was put on hold when a global financial crisis hit that year. Construction resumed in 2014 and was finished in 2016.