Michelin S.C. OTR plant built to be expanded

Tire Business photo by Bruce Davis
Pete Selleck, chairman and president, Michelin North America Inc., welcoming invited guests at the ceremony marking the inauguration of production at Michelin's new OTR tire plant in Starr, S.C.

By Bruce Davis, Tire Business staff

ANDERSON, S.C. (Dec. 12, 2013) — Michelin North America Inc.'s new OTR tire plant near Anderson was designed to be expanded multiple times, Chairman Pete Selleck said Dec. 12.

The US10 plant, built in record time of 17 months, was designed based on Michelin's Lexington, S.C., plant, which has been expanded five times, Mr. Selleck said. The new plant covers 800,000 square feet, including materials preparation, tire building, curing, inspection and warehousing/shipping sections.

The executive declined to say how quickly the tire maker might expand it, saying it would depend on demand.

Michelin North America Inc. photo

Michelin's US10 plant, in Starr, S.C., covers 800,000 square feet and is designed to be expanded.

Michelin expects to export up to 80 percent of the plant's output, Mr. Selleck said, principally to Canada, South America and Australia.

Check back to tirebusiness.com for Bruce Davis' full multi-media reports from the Anderson, S.C., OTR plant.

The first tires were built at the plant Nov. 25. The company said tires made during the next several months will be sent primarily to Michelin's OTR test grounds in Spain for evaluation.

The new plant, located in Starr, S.C., just outside of Anderson, is dedicated to 57- and 63-inch versions of the firm's XRD line, according to Bruce Brackett, global earthmover tire manager.

US10 is one of just three Michelin plants worldwide capable of making 63-inch radials, along with the Lexington factory and the plant in Vitoria, Spain.

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To reach this reporter: [email protected]; 330-865-6145.

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