This will be Trelleborg Wheel Systems' ninth tire and/or wheel plant worldwide, including a factory in Red Lion, Pa., for solid industrial tires. The company's other agricultural tire plants are in Tivoli, Italy, and Xingtai, China, both of which Trelleborg acquired.
The Tivoli plant originally belonged to Pirelli & C. S.p.A., while the Xingtai plant was built originally by Maine Industrial Tire Co.
Trelleborg Wheel Systems reported sales of $643.5 million in 2013, or about 20 percent of the parent company's $3.2 billion overall sales. Agricultural products accounted for 58 percent of the division's sales last year.
Trelleborg Wheel derives about $148 million of its sales from business in North America, according to the firm's annual financials.
Trelleborg Wheel's American sales unit, Trelleborg Wheel Systems Americas Inc., recently moved its U.S. headquarters to southeast Akron, site of its primary Ohio distribution center, from the west Akron suburb of Fairlawn, where it had been since late 2010.
Trelleborg said the move consolidates the North American sales, marketing and logistics personnel of the agricultural and industrial tire businesses at one location, which also includes warehousing. The firm's new address is 1501 Exeter Road, Akron, Ohio 44306. The company's telephone and Fax numbers didn't change: 330-396-7130/330-396-7143.
Trelleborg's selection of Spartanburg will make it the fourth tire maker to choose the Palmetto State to set up production. Bridgestone Americas, Michelin North America Inc. and Continental Tire the Americas all have manufacturing in the state.
The firm's investment comes on top of more than $2.5 billion invested in South Carolina in the past several years by tire makers.