NASHVILLE, TN ― Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) announced September 22, 2022 a $60 million expansion of its Bridgestone Bandag, LLC manufacturing plant in Abilene, Texas. The 50,000-square- foot expansion of the plant is aimed at the growing demand for the company’s tread rubber products. Bridgestone’s investment will build upon the plant’s existing 200,000 square-foot blueprint and provide the capacity needed for future production. SDG provided site location and incentive negotiation services for the project.

The expansion includes an immediate increase in operational activity by running on six and seven-day production schedules, as well as the construction of new mixing operations at the facility. The mixing operations are expected to be completed and in operation by January 2025. The investment in the facility and the additional days of operations increase the plant’s output by 16 percent, furthering Bridgestone’s commitment to sustainable solutions.

“Today we celebrate the growth and commitment of this plant and this community, with new investment and a physical expansion driven by growing demand for our products and, just as fundamentally, by this team’s commitment to delivering innovation and superior quality for our customers here and around the world,” said Barry Owens, senior vice president, Bridgestone Americas Manufacturing Group. “Our company and our Abilene team have a vital role to play in the transformation of mobility brought forth by a desire of building greener retreads, while helping maximize fuel efficiency for fleets.”

Bandag is an industry leading supplier of retread tires for fleets. Retread tires not only provide fleets an economic benefit, but also are an environmentally responsible way to extend the life of tires in any fleet. Since 1957, Bandag has been responsible for keeping approximately 300 million tires out of the waste system, which helps reduce
material emissions, water and energy use associated with the production of a new tire. The Bandag retreading process has also saved four billion gallons of oil since it began 50 years ago.

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