Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC (BATO) has begun construction on a $19.5 million expansion project at its Bloomington, Ill. OTR plant.
“With increasing demand in the market, we are very excited about this expansion of our OTR tire production capacity in Bloomington,” said Ken Weaver, president, U.S. and Canada Commercial Tire Sales Division. “This expansion will better position us to respond to changing market conditions and to support our customers’ growth strategies in markets around the world. At the same time, this new capacity will also allow us to be more responsive to the domestic market.”
Expected to be completed in mid-2013 at a cost of $19.5 million, which will mostly be spent on new machinery, the additional capacity will go primarily to the production of tires used in heavy industry. The plant expansion is expected to result in at least 40 new jobs.
“This is great news for our teammates and community partners in Bloomington,” said Monty Greutman, Bloomington plant manager. “An expansion of this size can be challenging and we are very grateful for the support we’ve received from the Economic Development Council of Bloomington-Normal for this project, which will create new jobs and provide an economic boost in our community.”
The investment in Bloomington follows a September 2011 announcement by the company of a $1.3 billion investment in tire plants in Aiken County, S.C.; Warren County, Tenn.; and Des Moines, Iowa; as well as an expansion by Bridgestone Americas’ parent company, Bridgestone Corporation, at its steel cord plant in Clarksville, Tenn.
The Bridgestone Americas plant in Bloomington, which has been operated by the company since 1994, produces OTR tires and employs 420 teammates.
