TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ― Michelin North America Inc.'s BFGoodrich brand is celebrating 75 years of manufacturing at its plant in Tuscaloosa, which has churned out more than 500 million tires since opening in October 1946.
Built originally to produce military material during World War II, the plant spans over 1.6 million square feet of manufacturing space and has supported a number of "firsts" in the tire industry, including:
- First tubeless tire in the U.S.;
- First American-made passenger car tire certified for racing (BFGoodrich Radial T/A);
- First radial light-truck all-terrain tire;
- First light-truck radial mud tire (BFGoodrich Mud Terrain T/A);
- First tires for NASA's space shuttle; and
- First purpose-built, off-road radial desert race tire (BFGoodrich Baja T/A).
"Our BFGoodrich facility in Tuscaloosa has been on the leading edge of tire innovation and performance for decades," Harold Phillips, global general manager for BFGoodrich Tires, said.
"We're proud to celebrate the dedication of the employees in Tuscaloosa who are responsible for producing some of the most iconic tires ever made for racing, recreation and passenger vehicles."
The Tuscaloosa plant employs 1,400 and produces semi-finished materials, such as uncured rubber and associated materials needed for tire construction, in addition to manufacturing passenger and light truck tires. Capacity is estimated at 15,000 units a day.
"Our 75 years in Tuscaloosa is not only a testament to the dedication of our employees, but it also shows the support of our community and government partners that help us deliver top-quality products for the North American marketplace," Brent McCorkle, plant manager of Tuscaloosa, said.
According to Michelin, the Tuscaloosa site is distinguished by its production of competition tires as well. These accomplishments include the first street-legal drag-racing tire; the first street radial tire to compete at the 24 Hours of LeMans in France; the first passenger-car tire to defeat pure race tires; and tiers used in 98 overall wins in the SCORE International racing series.
The plant also plays an integral role in the Tuscaloosa community, Michelin said, donating more than $100,000 annually to charitable causes in the area and supporting local school programs. It was one of the first businesses to become an Adopt-A-School partner in Tuscaloosa and continues its commitment to workforce development through sponsorships and involvement in programs like the West Alabama Worlds of Work Career Expo.
The factory is one of only two plants operated by Michelin in North America that is unionized; workers there are represented by United Steelworkers Local 351L. The other unionized plant — also originally a BFGoodrich factory — is in Fort Wayne, Ind.
Tuscaloosa is a city of about 100,000 residents in western Alabama, located about 55 miles west of Birmingham. It's also the home of the University of Alabama.