H&H upgrading retread plant with state, regional support

OAK HILL, Ohio — OTR tire retreader H&H Industries Inc. — in collaboration with Ohio state and regional economic development authorities — is expanding production capacity at its Oak Hill plant with a $275,000 investment.

The investment in a higher capacity peeler/buffer will expand the company's existing capacity for larger-sized OTR tire while increasing efficiency and productivity, while creating five new jobs, H&H Industries President Noah Hickman said.

The investment, being carried out with assistance from JobsOhio, Ohio Southeast Economic Development (OhioSE), and the Jackson County Economic Development Partnership (JCEDP), will create five new jobs at the company, which is marking its 50th year in business in 2022.

"H&H Industries' commitment has always been to reinvest in our business thereby allowing us to expand operations and give us the ability to create more jobs for our local residents which has always been a priority to us," Hickman said.

"Southern Ohio has been a key factor in our success and the support we get from local communities and Jackson County, in general, has always been appreciated."

The investment — buoyed by a $25,000 JobsOhio Inclusion Grant and other incentives by the county and local agencies — will go toward the purchase and installation of an Akar #049 Peeler-Buffer, that's capable of buffing tires up to 63-inch rim diameter, Hickman said.

The new buffer, being supplied by Central Marketing, will replace a buffer that's been in operation since 2005, Hickman said. In all H&H has three inflatable and three manual-type buffers in operation at the 80,000-sq.-ft. plant.

The new buffer will be placed in a 6- by 8-foot pit with a cyclone system for the removal of buffing dust and a conveyor system for the removal of rubber peels, Hickman said, adding that all of H&H's buffings/peelings are sent to recycling centers.

JobsOhio supported the project with a $25,000 Inclusion Grant and OhioSE assisted the company with the grant process. The JobsOhio grant provides financial support for eligible projects in designated distressed communities and/or for businesses owned by underrepresented populations across the state.

"We are proud to that a global leader in the OTR industry like H&H Industries calls Jackson County home," JCEDP President Sam Brady said in a prepared statement.

"This investment by H&H only underscores the success and growth they have experienced by choosing to continue doing business in Ohio and Jackson County," Brady added.

"This project is a great example of a growing company making a critical investment to expand," OhioSE President Mike Jacoby said.

"We are grateful to our partners at JobsOhio for their investment in H&H Industries and the Southeast Ohio region, setting them up for long-term success in Jackson County."

Family-owned and operated in Oak Hill since 1972, H&H Industries is among the largest independent OTR tire retreading companies worldwide. The company uses three manufacturing methods: sculpted tread, mold cure and precured tread.

Oak Hill is a village of about 1,500 residents in Jackson County in southern Ohio in what's designated as Appalachia.