Pirelli, partners working to save longleaf pines

ROME, Ga.—Pirelli North America and Berry College will collaborate on a major sustainability project to restore the rare longleaf pine habitat in and around Pirelli's factory in Rome, which sits just to the northwest of Atlanta.

The Longleaf Pine Project initially began as a partnership between Berry College and The Nature Conservancy in Georgia, since a mountain where the longleaf pine exists is on the Berry College campus.

"Longleaf pine forests once occupied over 92 million acres throughout the southeastern U.S. and now cover only about two percent of the original range," Pirelli said in a Jan. 17 press release. "Mountain longleaf pine forests are particularly rare, originally occupying mountain slopes in northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama."

Using controlled burns, the project initially will look to restore about 300 acres of land, with another 100 acres to be restored as fertile land after that.

In total, about 500 acres of mountain land will be restored when the project is complete. Pirelli's contribution will support plantings on Berry College's property.

"Our support of the Longleaf Pine Project once again demonstrates Pirelli's focus on environmental sustainability and commitment to local communities, central to our development strategy and fully integrated into our business model," said Maureen Kline, Pirelli North America vice president of public affairs and sustainability. "In a special year for Pirelli, as we celebrate our 150th anniversary, we are even more committed to ... investing in sustainable growth for our planet, conscious that this is also essential for the future of our business."

Berry College and Pirelli will look to involve the community in the conservation process, and educate the public on the advantages of longleaf pines and proper fire management.

"The Berry College Department of Land Resources, in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy, recently committed to a plan of replanting approximately 500 acres annually into longleaf," said Tim Chesnut, Berry College Forestry Manager. "Soon after becoming director of Berry College's Department of Land Resources, Gary Will spearheaded the process of partnership with The Nature Conservancy.

"Pirelli's entry into this partnership will greatly benefit this endeavor. Every acre will require significant work beforehand to prepare the sites for planting, and afterward to tend to the trees to promote their health and growth."

An initial planting will be conducted Jan. 29, during which Pirelli employees and Berry College students will be guided by Berry College faculty and Conservancy staff.

A key focus of Pirelli's global sustainability mission is to create value in the neighborhoods and cities where the company exists. In Rome, the Modular Integrated Robotized System was created for the production of high-performance tires.

The Rome facility also produced the first Forest Stewardship Council-certified tire in 2021, evidence of Pirelli's proper management of its global natural rubber and rayon plantations, assisting those local communities and farm workers.

Milan, Italy-based Pirelli has 19 production facilities in 12 countries and a commercial footprint of around 15,900 points of sale in 160 countries. Rome, Ga., represents the first tire production facility in the U.S. for Pirelli.