Michelin North America Inc. has announced a $200 million major expansion of its Starr, S.C., manufacturing plant.
Michelin says the move is intended to increase the company’s output of rubber compound material used to build tires in North America. The company expects the investment to create more than 100 new jobs.
“Today’s news is the latest in a string of major manufacturing commitments made by Michelin in the past 21 months,” says Pete Selleck, chairman and president of Michelin North America. “Together, these projects represent a $1.15 billion investment by Michelin in South Carolina and the creation of at least 870 new manufacturing jobs in the state.”
(See Michelin completes Lexington plant expansion.)
Construction has begun on the Starr plant expansion, which will be adjacent to the current facility. Also nearby is Michelin’s earthmover tire plant that is being built and scheduled to begin producing tires later this year.
The Starr factory is one of two Michelin semi-finished rubber production plants in Anderson County. The company’s largest rubber-producing plant in the world is only a few miles away in Sandy Springs. Built in 1975, that facility was one of Michelin’s first manufacturing facilities in the U.S.
“This facility produces the quality rubber compound used in Michelin’s tires, and its ability to meet the strong demand for our products is critically important,” says Rich Kornacki, executive vice president of Michelin North America and head of the specialty product lines.
Michelin says it is South Carolina’s largest manufacturing employer. Nearly 9,000 of Michelin’s 22,000 employees in North America will be located in South Carolina when all the construction is complete. Nine of Michelin North America’s 18 production facilities are located in the state.
The company recently announced investment plans for Canada (see Michelin will invest $74 million in Nova Scotia plant).
For more information visit www.michelin-us.com.
