Bridgestone Americas Inc. has broken ground on a $550 million investment at its medium truck and bus tire plant in Warren County, Tenn.
The capital influx will expand the plant's footprint by 850,000 square feet and will add nearly 400 jobs.
Construction, which will expand the factory's total footprint to more than 2.8 million square feet, is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
The investment will "support increased capacity and accelerate the use of advanced technologies that support cleaner, safer and more efficient commercial truck and bus fleets," according to Bridgestone officials.
"As part of the expansion, Warren County will be one of the first plants globally to add the capability to produce our Enliten technology stack. This tech stack is optimized for rolling resistance and wear.
"The addition of these new jobs reinforces Bridgestone’s commitment to American manufacturing, bringing the total number of the company’s manufacturing workforce in the U.S. to nearly 10,000.
"The investment will also allow for all tires made in Warren to be equipped with RFID (radio frequency identification) tags that enable more efficient asset management and optimization of fleets’ investments in tires, including retreading.
"The plant will incorporate technology for digital readiness in tires, including the integration of tire-mounted sensors that support advanced, data-driven insights for more efficient fleet management.
Bridgestone says it also will invest in "AI control technology that increases productivity and the application of knowledge and data in a digital manufacturing environment. These technologies combined will help accelerate the company’s progress toward its sustainability goals, including carbon neutrality by 2050."
“With new investment and new jobs, we are moving our Warren County Plant forward, driven by growing demand for our products, our commitment to investing in U.S. manufacturing and our Warren team’s dedication to innovation, efficiency and quality for our customers," says Paolo Ferrari, joint global COO, Bridgestone Corp., and president and CEO of Bridgestone Americas.
"This investment will expand the capabilities of this plant and pave the way for Bridgestone to bolster its sustainable solution offerings for fleets.”
