Continental Tire North America Inc. (CTNA) has broken ground on a $17.8 million tandem mixer at its Mount Vernon, Ill., plant that will be "the only one of its kind in the nation," according to CTNA officials.
Construction will begin over the next several months.
The mixer is part of a larger $60 million to $70 million investment in the factory, which can build more than 27,000 passenger and light truck tires per day at full capacity, according to Modern Tire Dealer's 2006 Facts Issue.
The machine will be able to mix one million pounds of rubber each day, "far surpassing existing capabilities.
"While many U.S. manufacturers are focusing their capital investment dollars overseas, CTNA is making a substantial investment in this innovative technology to assure the long-term success of the Mount Vernon facility," says Dr. Alan Hippe, CEO and president of CTNA.
