GREENVILLE, S.C. — Greenville-based Michelin North America will break ground next week on a new Earthmover tire manufacturing plant in Anderson County, South Carolina, as part of a $750 million investment that will create approximately 500 new jobs. The investment also includes expanding the existing Earthmover tire facility in Lexington, South Carolina.
The new plant in Anderson County will be Michelin’s 19th manufacturing facility in North America and its ninth in South Carolina. More than 8,000 of Michelin North America’s 22,300 employees are based in South Carolina.
The new plant will be adjacent to Michelin’s existing rubber processing plant in Starr, South Carolina, and will be Michelin’s third plant in Anderson County. Michelin also operates a 2.5 million-square-foot rubber processing plant in Sandy Springs, South Carolina, the largest in the world.
The Earthmover tire brand is a specialty tire for earth-moving equipment, such as bulldozers and dump trucks. The high demand has led to a need for Michelin to increase its Earthmover tire production.
“There is unprecedented demand for Michelin Earthmover tires throughout the world,” said Pete Selleck, Michelin North America’s chairman and president. “It’s a tribute to the productivity of our employees and the pro-business environment in South Carolina that the company is expanding its Earthmover capacity in the state where we first began manufacturing in the United States.”
“The market for Earthmover tires grew by more than 20 percent between 2009 and 2011,” continues Jean-Dominique Senard, managing general partner of Michelin. “This new facility will help us meet sustained demand while also attaining our growth objectives for 2015.”
South Carolina currently has a 9.1 percent unemployment rate, according to the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce, well above the national 8.2 percent rate. Michelin’s investment in creating 500 new jobs will help the state in its effort to close the gap.
South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham attended Michelin’s investment announcement and both made statements about Michelin’s contributions to the state. Michelin is currently the largest manufacturing employer in the state.
“Michelin has been part of the economic and social fabric of South Carolina for decades and remains one of our finest corporate citizens,” says Haley. “It really is a great day in South Carolina when our largest manufacturer reaffirms its commitment to the state.”
“For nearly 40 years, Michelin has played an essential and leading role in South Carolina’s economy,” continues Graham. “Today’s announcement is more good news for South Carolina as it reinforces Michelin’s commitment to manufacturing and good-paying jobs in our state. We are very proud that since 1973 Michelin North America has called South Carolina home.”
This announcement is piggybacking off a 2011 commitment from Michelin to invest approximately $200 million in its existing Lexington passenger and light truck tire manufacturing facility, which is slated to resume production in October.
In addition to the Lexington plant, Michelin currently produces Earthmover tires around the world in Waterville, Canada; Campo Grande, Brazil; Le Puy and Montceau-les-Mines, France; Vitoria, Spain; and Zalau, Romania.
— John Nelson