SALTILLO, Mexico — Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (YRC) broke ground April 15 on the $380 million passenger and light truck tire plant it's building in Mexico.
The plant, being built on a 150-acre site at the Alianza Industrial Park in Saltillo, Coahuila — will open in 2027 with a rated capacity of 5 million tires a year.
"We stand here today in celebration and recognize the best employees and best customers in the world. Without their collective commitment, resolve and devotion to the Yokohama brand, today would not have been possible," Yokohama Tire Corp. President and CEO Jeff Barna said.
Barna was among several Yokohama executives in attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony, alongside YRC Chairman and CEO Masataka Yamishi and Yokohama Corp. North America CEO Shinichi Takimoto, as well as state and local officials.
"With the establishment of this factory, we are not only bringing our products closer to our local customers, but also enhancing the quality and accessibility of our offerings," Barna said.
The new plant joins existing YRC factories in Salem, Va., and West Point, Miss., in supplying tires to the North American market. YRC has talked about Mexico as potential manufacturing site since 2016.
North America accounts for 26%, or $1.62 billion, of YRC's global tire-related sales revenue.