NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE (August 16, 2023) ― Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) celebrated the expansion of its Warren County, Tennessee Truck and Bus Radial (TBR) Tire Plant located in Morrison with an official groundbreaking ceremony today. The $550 million investment will add 380 new jobs and expand the plant’s existing footprint by 850,000 square feet to support increased capacity and to accelerate the use of advanced technologies that support cleaner, safer and more efficient commercial truck and bus fleets. As part of the expansion, Warren County will be one of the first plants globally to add the capability to produce our Enliten technology stack. This tech stack is optimized for rolling resistance and wear.
The addition of these new jobs reinforces Bridgestone’s commitment to American manufacturing, bringing the total number of the company’s manufacturing workforce in the U.S. to nearly 10,000. The investment will also allow for all tires made in Warren to be equipped with RFID (radio frequency identification) tags that enable more efficient asset management and optimization of fleets’ investments in tires, including retreading. The plant will incorporate technology for digital readiness in tires, including the integration of tire-mounted sensors that support advanced, data-driven insights for more efficient fleet management. Bridgestone will also invest in AI control technology that increases productivity and the application of knowledge and data in a digital manufacturing environment. These technologies combined will help accelerate the company’s progress toward its sustainability goals, including carbon neutrality by 2050.
The expansion of the 33-year-old facility is underway, with construction expected to be substantially completed by the end of 2026. Employment will grow from 1,100 to more than 1,400 teammates and the plant’s footprint will grow from 1.97 million to more than 2.8 million square feet.
“With new investment and new jobs, we are moving our Warren County Plant forward, driven by growing demand for our products, our commitment to investing in U.S. manufacturing, and our Warren team’s dedication to innovation, efficiency and quality for our customers. We appreciate the partnership we’ve received from the state of Tennessee and Warren County, which is foundational to this expansion,” said Paolo Ferrari, joint global COO, Bridgestone Corporation, and president and CEO, Bridgestone Americas. “Our company and the Warren County Plant team have a vital role to play in the transformation of mobility. This investment will expand the capabilities of this plant and pave the way for Bridgestone to bolster its sustainable solution offerings for fleets.”
“Thanks to Tennessee’s strong business climate, highly skilled workforce and central location, companies from across the globe continue to locate and expand in our state. We thank Bridgestone for its continued investment in Tennessee, which will create nearly 400 new jobs and greater opportunity for families across Warren County,” said Governor Bill Lee.
The Warren County Tire Plant is one of the company’s most productive operations globally. The plant has a long history of outstanding performance and best practices in manufacturing. The facility shipped its one millionth tire in 1993, only three years after it opened. That same year, the plant produced nearly 2,500 tires per day. The plant produced its 70 millionth tire in October 2021.
“Today, with this groundbreaking, we celebrate the commitment and passion for excellence of the teammates, past and present, of the Warren County plant. Through their hard work, Warren County has become a flagship manufacturing facility for our company and a global leader in the commercial tire sector,” said Scott Damon, chief operating officer, Bridgestone Americas. “We are proud of our team for their 33 years of manufacturing excellence in Warren County. Our confidence in the future of Bridgestone’s truck and bus tire business is a tribute to the Warren teammates who remain driven to providing our customers with the best tires and solutions in the world.”
The expansion supports Bridgestone’s E8 commitment, which consists of 8 Bridgestone-like values starting with the letter “E” (Energy, Ecology, Efficiency, Extension, Economy, Emotion, Ease, and Empowerment) that Bridgestone has committed to creating together with employees, society, partners and customers to realize a sustainable society.
The Warren County Tire Plant and its teammates embody the Bridgestone E8 Commitment with initiatives focused on education and environmental conservation and preservation. In 2004, the plant became a certified wildlife habitat site with 680 acres devoted to providing natural areas and grasses. Community and environmental partnerships led to the creation of the Bridgestone Environmental Education Classroom and Habitat (BEECH), which now serves as an educational classroom for area students as part of Warren County Schools’ science curriculum. Since its inception, more than 33,000 students have visited the site to take environmental classes and experience educational nature trails.
The Warren County Tire Plant has earned numerous awards for its workplace safety programs, including being recognized as a Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star site six times by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. VPP status is awarded to companies that have comprehensive safety and health programs with injury rates below the industry’s national average.
For more company news, visit www.BridgestoneAmericas.com.
