The State of Mississippi is working to secure a $1.45 billion tire plant in Hinds County, Miss. The governor has called an extraordinary session for Feb. 4, 2016, and lawmakers are voting on state incentives to land the deal.
If this new plant comes to fruition, it would be the third tire plant to call Mississippi home. Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. operates a passenger tire plant in Tupelo, and Yokohama Tire Corp. began producing truck tires in West Point in 2015.
According to the Associated Press, Continental Tire the Americas LLC is the manufacturer, but when contacted by Modern Tire Dealer the company said it's all speculation at this point.
Late in the day on Feb. 4, Continental confirmed it will build a commercial tire plant in western Mississippi.
The state has so far not named the tire manufacturer, and documents don't reveal what kind of tires would be produced in Hinds County, which is near Jackson.
The legislation considered by state lawmakers does reveal the incentives are conditional upon a project that creates 2,500 jobs with an average annual salary of $40,000. Construction of the plant would be completed no later than the last day of 2022.
