Bridgestone Americas is to plough US$180m into its Wilson, North Carolina passenger tyre manufacturing facility.

The cash injection investment is in addition to the US$164m expansion announced in January 2016, making the company’s total investment US$344m during the next ten years.

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The additional finance includes a new rubber mixer, which is expected to add 16 jobs, as well as funding for manufacturing processes and technologies at the Wilson facility. Groundbreaking for the new 50,000 square foot building addition for the new mixer is expected in Spring this year, with start of production slated for autumn next year.

The multi-phase expansion will allow the plant to meet global demand for higher rim diameter tyres, as well as improve quality and productivity. Combined, the project is adding manufacturing space to accommodate new tyre assembly machines, materials handling systems, curing presses and associated equipment to increase plant capacity by 3,000 tyres per day, bringing daily production to 35,000 by 2018.

“This total investment reflects Bridgestone’s global commitment to meeting marketplace demands, increasing capacity and utilising innovative manufacturing processes,” said Wilson plant manager, Michael Darr.

“These are investments not only in the customers of Bridgestone products but also in our local community and in our team members.”

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The Wilson plant currently manufactures 32,000 passenger tyres a day. It was the first Bridgestone tyre manufacturing facility to produce run-flat tyres and, in 2016, began producing the company’s new DriveGuard run-flat tyres, the first full line of premium, all season replacement tyres engineered to go up to 50 miles to safety after a puncture.