Michelin recently celebrated the grand opening of a 800,000-ft2, $750 million off-road tire-manufacturing facility in Anderson, S.C. Michelin executives and employees were joined by state dignitaries to celebrate the plant opening, which took place less than a year and a half after breaking ground on the facility. The project completion is the fastest greenfield construction in Michelin’s history, according to the company.
A Michelin worker puts the finishing touches on a giant earthmover tire. The company recently opened its 15th tire production plant in the U.S.
The state-of-the-art plant will build earthmover-class tires, up to the largest sizes used on 400-ton mining trucks. Michelin Chairman and President Pete Selleck said that the plant is the company’s 15th in the United States and that South Carolina is now the country’s largest tire-producing state.
“Michelin continues to make investments in multiple countries around the world that will position our company for long-term growth,” said Selleck.
Production of commercially available tires was scheduled to commence in January for sale in mid-2014. Approximately 80% of the tires manufactured at the new plant will be exported, mostly from the Port of Charleston. The new tire plant is adjacent to Michelin’s existing rubber processing plant in Starr, South Carolina, and is the third Michelin plant in Anderson County. The company also operates a 2.5-million-ft2 rubber processing plant, the largest in the world, in Sandy Springs.
In addition to the U.S. plants, Michelin produces Earthmover tires in Waterville, Canada; Campo Grande, Brazil; Le Puy-en-Velay and Montceau, France; Vitoria, Spain; and Zalau, Romania.
