Bridgestone Americas announced it is expanding the company’s Warren County, Tennessee commercial truck and bus radial (TBR) tire manufacturing facility as part of a three-year, $40 million investment to meet market demand and address emerging customer needs. The expansion of the 28-year-old nationally-recognized facility is expected to break ground before year end.

“Bridgestone continues to optimize its production operations in order to respond to changing global market trends and increased demand,” said Greg Harris, executive director, Commercial Manufacturing, Bridgestone Americas. “Warren County is one of the company’s most productive operations, and this investment will further improve the plant’s global competitive position by expanding production capacity for TBR tires.”

The expansion will focus on the addition of 32,000 square feet of manufacturing space to accommodate new equipment that will increase plant capacity by 275 tires per day, bringing daily production to 9,400 tires per day by the end of 2020.

“The expansion of our manufacturing operations in Warren County is an important step in our efforts to meet the evolving needs of fleet customers,” said Eric Higgs, president, truck, bus and retread tires, U.S. and Canada, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. “In addition to increasing capacity, this investment will improve our capability to deliver next-generation products that help make mobility more efficient.”

The Warren County tire plant has a long history of outstanding performance and best practices in manufacturing. The facility shipped its one millionth tire in 1993, only three years after it opened. That same year, the plant produced nearly 2,500 tires per day. The plant produced its 60 millionth tire in June 2017. Expansions and upgrades contributed to additional increases in production to reach the 9,125 tires it currently produces daily.

“Our production and manufacturing capabilities continue to evolve with our products to meet the needs of our customers,” said Tamara Martensen, Warren County plant manager. “Our investment in updated equipment and improved manufacturing processes reflects our focus on maintaining our global competitiveness, our confidence in what our team can deliver, as well as our commitment to the Warren County community.”

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Bridgestone expands its TBR tire manufacturing facility in Tennessee