Bridgestone Americas Inc. is investing $72 million to expand warehouses at its Aiken County, S.C., and Wilson, N.C., consumer tire plants.
The expansion at Aiken will span 272,000 square feet and the Wilson expansion will cover 288,000 square feet. The upgrades build upon current and ongoing expansions at both plants and will "enhance operational excellence and further increase the company's ability to serve North American tire dealers and customers," according to Bridgestone officials. "With their strategic locations and increased capability, the new warehouse will enable the company to reduce transportation costs and shortern time-to-market to meet customer demands across North America," says Brad Blizzard, executive director, logistics, Bridgestone Americas.
"These expansions will further strengthen our distribution footprint in the United States and improve our ability to get the right tires to the right place with speed and accuracy," says Erik Seidel, president, consumer replacement tire sales, U.S. and Canada, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. "We are committed to being an indispensable business partner to our customers and continue to look for new opportunities across our supply chain to better meet their needs."
Bridgestone celebrated the Aiken plant's 20th anniversary last year. The Wilson City plant opened in 1974.
