Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC (Bridgestone Americas) announced during a press conference at MINExpo in Las Vegas that it will make an additional investment of $27.3 million for a second expansion project at its Bloomington, IL, off-the-road (OTR) plant.
Most of the investment will go toward new machinery for the production of giant loader tires (GLT). The Bloomington plant currently specializes in GLT bias production, making it the ideal location to increase production of these tires. The expansion will create approximately 47 new jobs.
“The strong demand for giant loader tires is currently exceeding supply,” says Ken Weaver, President, U.S. & Canada Commercial Tire Sales Division, Bridgestone Americas. “This additional expansion will better position us to respond to the continued market demand we expect to see, and to meet global growth in the mining sector.”
This announcement follows news in April of a $19.5 million investment in the plant to increase production of tires used in heavy industry. Most of that investment will also go toward new machinery, is expected to be completed in mid-2013, and will result in at least 40 new jobs.
“Both of these announcements help further establish our commitment to this industry and serving the needs of our customers,” says Kurt Danielson, President, Bridgestone Commercial Solutions. “We want to confirm our position as a leader in this market, and these expansions are just one step in that process.”
The Bridgestone Americas plant in Bloomington, which has been operated by the company since 1994, produces off-the-road tires and employs 420 teammates.
