Bridgestone invests in safe, sustainable future with Tennessee plant expansion

MORRISON, Tenn. — Bridgestone Americas Inc. is planning to boost capacity at its flagship Warren County truck/bus radial (TBR) tire plant in Morrison by nearly a third with a $550 million, 22-month investment project.

The expansion, which will add 850,000 square feet to the plant’s footprint and create 380 additional jobs, is designed to increase capacity and accelerate the use of advanced technologies “that support cleaner, safer and more efficient commercial truck and bus fleets.”

The 32-year-old plant’s capacity will increase to more than 12,000 units a day from its current rated capacity of 9,150 units per day. The factory’s floor space will jump 42% to 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,” President and CEO Paolo Ferrari said, thanking the state and county.

“Our Warren County plant team plays a vital role in supporting our company’s commitment to providing safe and sustainable mobility solutions,” he said.

The addition of 380 jobs “reinforces Bridgestone’s commitment to American manufacturing” and brings the company’s U.S. workforce to nearly 10,000, the Nashville-based company said, including 1,400 at the Warren County plant.

"This is an investment for the long term, and we have tremendous confidence in the future of our truck and bus tire business here in North America and globally," said Riccardo Cichi, president and chief sales officer, North America.

The plant also reflects Bridgestone's plan to deliver more digital ready products, Cichi said.

"We will be investing not only in smart tire technologies, but digital manufacturing capabilities including AI control technology to increase productivity," he said. "The mobility space is becoming more connected, and the Warren County team will play a leading role in how these sustainable solutions are enabled and implemented within the production environment."

The plant will support more efficient fleet management by using technology for digital readiness in tires, including the integration of tire-mounted sensors that offer advanced, data-driven insights.

The Warren County plant will be fully RFID capable, which allows fleets to have more efficient asset management and optimization, including retreading, he said.

"RFID and other technologies also enable our solutions business and new models like tire-as-service models that we are launching now in the last-mile-delivery space," Cichi said.

Bridgestone is making critical investments in that solutions business — dubbed Bridgestone Fleet Care —  which takes the company beyond just tires to complete, end-to-end solutions for fleets, he said.

"Bridgestone is transforming into a sustainable solutions company and our future isn’t just in tires, it’s also in data," he said.

“These technologies combined will help accelerate the company’s progress toward its sustainability goals, including carbon neutrality by 2050,” Bridgestone said.

Construction on the expansion is expected to start by year-end and be substantially finished by May 2024.

Bridgestone said it worked closely with local and state officials, including the Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development and Warren County government officials on the proposed expansion.

The state of Tennessee is providing $8 million in incentive grants.

“Bridgestone’s expansion in Morrison is a great example of Tennessee’s economic vitality and our ability to attract new investment across a broad range of industries,” Tennessee Gov. Bill Led said.

“I am proud that Bridgestone’s talented workforce manufactures high quality products at its Warren County, Tennessee, facility that are used by consumers around the globe.”

Bridgestone said the Warren County plant is one of the company’s most productive operations globally with “a long history of outstanding performance and best practices in manufacturing.”

The plant shipped its 1 millionth tire in 1993, three years after it opened, and produced its 70 millionth tire in October 2021.

 “Our production and manufacturing capabilities continue to evolve with our products to meet the needs of our customers,” Scott Damon, chief operating officer, Bridgestone Americas, said.

“We are proud of our team for their 32 years of manufacturing excellence in Warren County, and our continued success is a tribute to the Warren teammates who remain driven and committed to providing our customers with the best truck and bus tires in the world. This investment will further improve the plant’s global competitive position and secure our future growth.”

The expansion supports Bridgestone’s E8 commitment — eight Bridgestone-like values starting with the letter “E” — that Bridgestone has committed to creating together with employees, society, partners and customers to realize a sustainable society. The plant and its employees “embody the Bridgestone E8 Commitment with initiatives focused on education and environmental conservation and preservation.”

The plant was named a certified wildlife habitat site in 2004 with 680 acres devoted to natural areas and grasses. The Bridgestone Environmental Education Classroom and Habitat (BEECH), created through community and environmental partnerships, serves as an educational classroom for area students as part of Warren County Schools’ science curriculum with thousands of local students visiting 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 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which recognizes comprehensive safety and health programs with injury rates below the industry’s national average.