Kentucky plant unveils expansion tied to electric vehicles
BRUCE SCHREINER, Associated Press
FacebookTwitterEmail
A global auto parts supplier on Thursday announced a $51 million project adding 250 jobs at a rural Kentucky plant in an expansion tied to auto industry plans to ramp up electric vehicle production.
The stepped up output at the Firestone Industrial Products plant in Williamsburg will largely be geared toward producing air suspension systems for electric vehicles. Advanced air suspensions are increasingly a ‘must-have’ technology on premium electric vehicles, and Firestone is committed to maintaining its leadership in this exciting and important market,” said Emily Poladian, president of Firestone Industrial Products.
An additional 250 manufacturing jobs will be coming to Williamsburg as Bridgestone Americas announced a $51 million expansion of the Firestone Industrial Products plant on Thursday.
Read this story and more for just $.99 cents today, or subscribe to get access every day! Please login to view this content. Not a Member? Join Us
About the Author
View Comments
Nokian Tyres is doubling production output at its Dayton, Tenn. factory with an eye toward producing one million tires through 24/7 production in 2021. The factory, one of three operated by the Finnish tiremaker, began production in January 2020 and will produce four million tires annually once at full output.
“The demand for our premium tires is rising also in North America, and we are proud to offer products that are tailored to fit the needs of drivers in the region,” Nokian Tyres president and CEO said in a press release. “Last year we launched a record number of new products globally, and we will reach a new record in 2021.”
Print
NASHVILLE, Tenn. Bridgestone Americas Inc. has phased out the Dayton medium truck tire brand, eight years after reviving it as an entry-level product targeted at independent drivers and small fleets.
Prior to relaunching the century-plus-old brand in 2013, Bridgestone had retired it in 2010. The company had sourced Dayton-brand tires offshore.
In 2015, the company debuted a promotional campaign for the brand under the tagline, Tires for Truckers, to promote the brand as tires designed for truckers such as small fleets and owner-operators focused on their work.
The campaign featured a dedicated website, daytontrucktires.com, but that site is now offline.
Bridgestone has controlled the Dayton brand since 1988 when it bought Firestone Tire & Rubber Co., which in turn had owned the brand since 1961 when it bought the tire business of Dayton, Ohio-based Dayton Rubber Co. The company and brand date back to 1910.